Reds End Oswalt's Run and Get to .500

By: Cooper Ledford

The 2nd place Cincinnati Reds were playing the last place Astros in the final game of the series.  The Reds were looking to sweep Houston, but they would have to hit well, as the pitcher for the 'Stros was the best Reds killer, Roy Oswalt.  Oswalt had a career record of 23-1 against Cincinnati, his only loss coming in 2002.  The Reds did, however, end up calling the broom service, as they won 4-2.

After 4 scorless innings, in the 5th, Joey Votto grounded into a double play that scored Stubbs from third, and the Reds had the first run of the game.  Votto would add two more RBI's to his name, in the 7th inning, when he hit a two-run home run, it was 3-0 with the Redlegs on top.

Houston would get some runs in the 7th inning as well, the first one was off the bat of Hunter Pence for a solo shot, it was 3-1.  Houston would get one more run in the same inning, they were scored off of a double by Bourn, it scored Manzella, it was 3-2. 

The Redlegs would get the final run of the game in the 8th when Jay Bruce hit his 4th homer of the season, it was 4-2, and that was the final.

The winner is Bronson Arroyo, he went 6.2 innings, fanned 7, walked 3, gave up 2 runs, and had 101 pitches.

Next, the Reds travel to St. Louis to talk on Albert Pujols and the Cardinals.  The Reds will try to win the series, as they lost the opening series against the Cardinals, 2 games to 1.  Game one is at 8:15 PM ET and will be televised on FS Ohio.

Leake; Reds Get Win

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds were playing in game two of the series vs. the Houston Astros.  The Reds were trying to start off the series with two wins, and that they were able to do, thanks to an error that scored three and great pitching by the rookie, Mike Leake.

The Reds started off the scoring in the 1st inning when Scott Rolen grounded out but was able to push Stubbs across the plate to score, it was 1-0.  Cincinnati would increse their lead in the 3rd, when Joey Votto hit an RBI triple that scored Phillips, it was 2-0.  The Reds would get 4 runs in the 4th.  The first three were all scored in one play, that was when Brandon Phillips hit a pop-up to right field, but Bourn and Pence were both going at the ball, and neither outfielder was able to make the catch, it was an error on Hunter Pence, it was 5-0 with the Redlegs on top.  Cincy would grab a 6-0 lead when Scott Rolen hit an RBI double that scored Phillips from second.

Houston would get on the board in the 5th when Quintero hit an RBI ground out, which scored Feliz, it was 6-1.  the Astros would score three runs in the bottom of the 9th.  The first two runs came off of a home run from Lance Berkman, it was 6-3.  The 'stros would get the final run of the game when Blum hit an RBI single, it was 6-4, and that was the final.

Leake goes 7 innings, gave up 5 hits, 1 run, fanned 5, and walked 2.

Harang Gets Win....About Time He Does Something Good

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds were on the road, as they were visiting the Houston Astros, who have been some-what decent in the last few games.  The Reds were trying to start off a good series after losing 2-of-3 to San Diego.  Cincinnati ended up winning 6-2.

To start off scoring, the former Red, Jeff Keppinger hit an RBI ground out, that scored Bourn, it was 1-0 with Houston on top.  Cincinnat would get two runs in the second, via two-RBI single, from Ryan Hanigan, which scored Bruce and Rolen, the Reds had a 2-1 lead, and never looked back. 

The Reds had a nice 6th inning, as they scored 3 runs.  The first run was off of Jonny Gomes' bat, it was an RBI one-bagger that scored Bruce.  The second run was when Ryan Hanigan hit another RBI single, this one only scored one though, but the Reds had a 4-1 lead.  The final run of the inning for the Redlegs was when Drew Stubbs hit a sac fly to score Gomes, after that nice inning, it was 5-1 with Cincy on top.

Houston would score as well in their portion of the 6th, but only one run, which was when J.R. Towles hit a sac fly to score Berkman, it was 5-2.  Cincinnati would score the final run of the game when Hanigan was batting, Cabrera stole third, and scored on a balk, it was 6-2, and that is how it finished as the Reds take game one of the series.

Harang went 6 innings, fanned 6, walked 1, gave up 2 runs, and 8 hits.

Ohio State Spring Game Tomorrow

The Defending Rose Bowl Champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, will be hosting their 2010 Spring Game, tomorrow, which I will be attending with some of my cousins.  I will be sure to take some pictures and post them on here, and maybe make a slide show and upload it to YouTube, just to share them with you.  If possable, I will TRY and make a recap for the game, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.

To be honest, this is my first time going to an Ohio State football game (which this is not really a game), so I am excited.  I am excited to see The Shoe. 

Reds Struggle Against San Diego

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Reds lose 10-4.  Bronson Arroyo SUCKED!

Bengals Draft Gresham, Sign Nuget

The Cincinnati Bengals pick TE out of Oklahoma, Jermaine Gresham, in the NFL Drafts' First Round.  They also signed former Buckeye great, Mike Nuget. 

Jermaine Gresham, in his career at Oklahoma, had 111 receptions, 1,629 yards, and, 26 touchdowns.  Many Bengals fans say that this was a great pick, they needed a TE.

Mike Nuget was signed today, and will be competing for the starting spot at kicker in training camp with Dave Rayner. 

Leake Gets First MLB Win, and First Win For Reds Starter This Season

By: Cooper Ledford

 The Cincinnati Reds were hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, for the final game of the series, they series was even at 1-1.  The Reds ended up winning 8-5.

The Dodgers scored first, in the top of the first when Andre Ethier hit a two-run home run to make it 2-0 early on.  The Reds would strike back in the bottom of the first with a sac fly by Joey Votto to score Chris Dickerson, but they Redlegs still trailed 2-1.  LA would add on to their lead in the third when Furcal hit an RBI single to score DeWitt, it was 3-1.  The Reds would take the lead in the sixth inning when Jay Bruce hit a three-run blast to right field off of an almost-ephis pitch, and Cincinnati had a 4-3 lead. 

The Dodgers would take the lead back in the seventh when Aderson hit a solo home run, it was 5-4, but not for long.  The Reds got serious in the bottom of the seventh, infact, they scored four runs in that inning.  The first runs came off the bat of Scott Rolen, as he hit a two RBI double, which scored Votto and Cabrera, Cincy had a 6-5 lead.  The Reds would add on to their lead when Drew Stubbs hit an RBI single which scored Rolen, it was 7-5.  The final run of the inning, and game, was off of Ryan Hanigan's bat, as he hit an RBI single which scored Bruce, the score was 8-5.  Rhodes and Cordero did their jobs in the final two innings, to give the Reds the series win, improve their record to 7-9, give a Reds' starter a win for the first time, and most importantly, give Mike Leake his first MLB win.

Leake went 7.0 innings, gave up 8 hits, 5 runs, walked only 1, and fanned 5.  Congratulations to Mike Leake.

Next, the Reds will host the Padres.  The game is at 7:00 PM ET and will be on FS Ohio.

Reds Lose to LA

The Reds lost 14-6, that's all I need to say.

Edinson Volquez Suspended for 50 Games.

By:  Cooper Ledford

Reds pitcher, Edinson Volquez, was suspended for 50 games on Tuesday.  Volquez was suspended because of violation of the MLB's Drug Use Policy.  Volquez said that he was trying to start a family with his wife, and the drug he took was a prescription drug issued by his doctor in the Dominican Republic. 

“As a result, I tested positive when I reported to spring training,” he said. “Although I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and have chosen not to challenge my suspension, I want to assure everyone that this was an isolated incident involving my genuine effort to treat a common medical issue.”

Volquez’s suspension starts Wednesday. He could be eligible to play starting June 15. Volquez was to make $445,000 this season, so barring rainouts the suspension will cost him $133,743.

“When he’s ready to pitch, he’ll be able to pitch,” general manager Walt Jocketty said.

He can serve part of his suspension while in rehab in Goodyear, Arizona. 

Reds End Losing Streak With Win Over LA

By:  Cooper Ledford

Sorry that no articles over the Reds' last five games have been made, I am not sure why that happened.  I will make recaps for the next two series.  So here is the recap for the first game of the series vs. LA.

The Cincinnati Reds were hostong the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Reds were trying to end a five game losing streak, they were able to do so by winning 11-9.

LA started the scoring in the first inning when Casey Blake hit a two-bagger that scored three runners, just like that the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead.  Cincinnati would get on the board in the second inning when Brandon Phillips hit his second home run of the season, it was a solo home run and it was 3-1.  In the same inning. Jay Bruce hit an RBI triple to score Rolen, it was a one-run-game.  Once again, in that same inning, Jonny Gomes hit an RBI double which scored Bruce from third and the game was tied at three.  Again in the bottom of the second (the next three runs for Cincinnati come in this inning) Homer Bailey hit a sac bunt, Chad Billingsley made a throwing error that advanced all the runners and scored Gomes, and "Boom Goes The Dynamite " just like that the Redlegs had a 4-3 lead.  Next, Orlando Cabrera hit a sac fly to score Hernandez and Cincy had a 5-3 lead.  For the last run of the inning, Votto hit an RBI single to score Homer Bailey to make it 6-3.

The Reds would score again in the third when Gomes hit a sac fly to score Rolen, it was 7-3.  Later on, in the bottom of the fourth, Joey Votto hit a two-run blast to right to make it a NICE 9-3 lead for the Nati. 

Los Angeles would break-up Cincinnati's nine-unanswered-runs in the top of the sixth when Blake hit an RBI triple to score Manny, it was 9-4.  In the same inning, DeWitt hit an RBI single to mkae it 9-5. The Dodgers would have a nice rally in the 8th inning when Furcal hit an RBI single to make it 9-6 with the Reds still on top.  In the same inning, Matt Kemp hit a three-run home run to tie the game up at 9.  Many Reds fans were probably thing 'They will scre up again' or 'I'll tell ya' what, they can find more ways to lose than anyone else'.  However, the game was not over.  In the bottom of the 8th Paul Janish hit a single that scored Bruce and Hernandez to make it 11-9, and that is how the game would finish, as the Reds go to 6-8. 

Lincoln is the winner, Troncoso is the loser, and Cordero gets the save.

Reds Defeat Marlins In 11 Innings

Starters:
Bronson Arroyo 8 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.86 ERA
Nate Robertson 5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR, 3.60 ERA

Winning Pitcher: Micah Owings 2-0, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 SO
Losing Pitcher: Dan Meyer 0-1, 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 Rm 2 ER, 2 BB
Save: Francisco Cordero 4 SV, 1.0 IP, 2 SO

Top of 2nd Inning:
Jonny Gomes homers to LF. Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen scores. Reds 3-0

Bottom of 2nd Inning:
Cody Ross doubles to CF and Ronny Paulino scores. Reds 3-1

Top of 4th Inning:
Ryan Hanigan homers to LF. Scott Rolen and Jonny Gomes score. 6-1 Reds

Bottom of 5th Inning:
Mike Lamb grounds out scoring Cody Ross. Reds 6-2
Cameron Maybin singles to LF and scores Gaby Sanchez. Reds 6-3
Hanley Ramirez doubles to CF and scores Cameron Maybin. Reds 6-4
Jorge Cantu singles to LF and Hanley Ramirez scores. Reds 6-5

Top of 8th Inning:
Brandon Phillips doubles to RF and Joey Votto scores. Reds 7-5
Jonny Gomes singles to LF scoring Brandon Phillips. 8-5 Reds

Bottom of 8th Inning:
Cody Ross homers to left centerfield scoting Hanley Ramirez and Ronny Paulino. Tied 8-8

Top of 11th Inning:
Joey Votto singles to CF scoring Chris Dickerson. Reds 9-8
Brandon Phillips singles to LF and Drew Stubbs scores. 10-8 Final Reds Win

Reds play on FS Ohio in the series finale vs Florida at 7:10 PM.

Reds Defeat The Marlins In 10 Innings

Starters:

CIN: Johnny Cueto 5 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
FLA: Ricky Nolasco 6 IP 5 ER 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR

Winner: Nick Masset Loser: Burk Badenhop

Save: Francisco Cordero

Top of 2nd Inning:

Scott Rolen hits a home run to right centerfield. 1-0 CIN
Laynce Nix singles to right field, Jay Bruce scores. 2-0 CIN

Bottom of 2nd Inning:

Gaby Sanches hits into a double play; Dan Uggla scores. 2-1 CIN

Bottom of 3rd Inning:

Jorge Cantu doubles on a line drive to CF. Cameron Maybin and Hanley Ramirez score. 3-2 FLA
Dan Uggla doubles to CF. Jorge Cantu scores. 4-2 FLA

Top of 4th Inning:

Scott Rolen homers to LF. 4-3 FLA

Top of 5th Inning:

Orlando Cabrera hits a 2-run home run. Drew Stubbs scores. 5-4 CIN

Bottom of 7th Inning:

Ronny Paulino singles and Jorge Cantu scores. Tied 5-5

Top of 10th Inning:

Scott Rolen singles to RF and Joey Votto scores. Final CIN 6 FLA 5


Reds play tomorrow at 7:10 PM on FS OHIO.

Probable Pitchers:

Bronson Arroyo 0-0, 1.13 ERA
Nate Robertson 1-0, 1.80 ERA

Leake Makes Great Debut, Reds Win

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds were hosting the Chicago Cubs in the final game of the series.  The series was even at a game each.  Pitching for Cincinnati was the rookie who skipped over all of the Minors, Mike Leake.  Leake ended up getting a no decision, but the Reds won 3-1 in a great game.  Here is how.

The Cubs started off the scoring with an RBI single by Derek Lee in the 5th inning, it was 1-0 with Chicago on top.  The Reds would tie the game up in the 7th when Cairo was batting, the bases were loaded with one out, Cairo hit it back to the pitcher, and it went off his glove, everybody was safe, that would bring in a run, it was 1-1.  Cincinnati would take the lead in the 8th inning when the bases were loaded and Ramon Hernandez was a walk victom, that made it 2-1 with the Redlegs on top.  The Reds would get another run in the same inning, Jonny Gome hit a sac fly off of Caridad to score Brandon Phillips, it was 3-1.  Then in the 9th inning, Cordero retired the side to give the Reds the victory, and they take two-out-of-three games from the Baby Bears.

Mike Leake went 6.2 innings, gave up a run, four hits, seven walks, and five strike outs.  Leake looked great in his MLB debut.  The Cubs starter, Tom Gorzelanny, had a steller game, he went 6.1 innings, gave up no earned runs, four hits, two walks, and seven strike outs.

Next, the Reds head to South Florida to take on the Florida Marlins.  It is a four game series, all of the games are at 7:10 PM ET and televised on FS Ohio.

Reds Lose, Dispite Early Lead

By: Cooper Ledford

The Reds were hosting the Cubs in game two of the series.  The Reds were coming off of a 5-4 win against the Cubs.  Aaron Harng was on the hill for Cincinnati, while Carlos Zambrano was pitching for Chicago.  The Reds grabbed a 3-0 lead, but lost 4-3.

To start the scoring, Ryan Hanigan hit an RBI single to score Chris Dickerson in the second inning, the Reds had a 1-0 lead.  Brandon Phillips would add on to the lead in the third inning as he hit a two run home run to give the Redlegs an early 3-0 lead, a nice cushion for Aaron Harang.  However, Harang proved that he can screw up, Fukudome hit a two run long ball to make it 3-2.  Harang would screw up again in the top of the fifth when Soriano went yard to tie the game.  The Baby Bears would get the lead in the eighth when Jeff Baker hit a solo home run to make it 4-3, and that is how she ended. 

Harang pitched better than he did on opening day, but definatly still needs improvement.  Harangitang went seven innings, gave up three earned runs, only four hits, seven strike outs, and no walks. 

Next, the Redlegs will play the series-deciding game as Mike Leake will make his MLB debut for Cincinnati.  The Cubs will have Tom Gorzelanny on the hill.  Game time is at 1:10 PM ET and will be on FS Ohio.

Stubb's Grand Slam Gets Reds Past Cubs

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds were hosting their division rivals, the Chicago Cubs.  The Cubs were coming off of a win against Atlanta, while the Reds were coming off of a walk-off win against St. Louis.  Homer Bailey was on the hill for Cincy, while Carlos Silva was pitching for the Cubbies.  Most of the game, it was 3-1 with the Cubs on top, making the fans at GABP very bored, until the bottom of the eight, when Drew Stubbs hit a grand slam to give the Reds the lead.  Here is how all the magic happened.

To start the scoring, Aramis Ramirez hit a sac fly to score Tyler Colvin to make it 1-0 in the top of the first.  The Redlegs would tie it up in the bottom of the first when Cabrera hit a sac fly to score Drew Stubbs.  In the third inning, the Baby Bears would get their lead back when Xavier Nady hit an RBI single to score D-Lee, it was 2-1.  The Cubs would then getting a bigger lead when Derek Lee hit an RBI single to score Ryan Theriot in the 4th inning, it was 3-1 Chicago on top.  The Reds would not score until the bottom of the eighth.  After two walks and a bunt hit, the bases were loaded with no outs, and batting was Drew Stubbs.  On the 1-0 pitch, Stubbs hit a GRAND SLAM, that gave the Redlegs a 5-3 lead going into the 9th inning.  Pitching for the 'Nati was Francisco Cordero, after a nice play by Phillips to get the first out, batting was Derek Lee.  Lee hit a home run to the Kroger Bleachers, it was a one run game, 5-4.  The bases would then get loaded, after a few messed-up defensive plays by Janish and Rolen.  Batting was Fontenot, he grounded into a one to three put away to end the game.  The Reds are .500, 2-2, as they win 5-4.

The winner is Micah Owings, who pitched 3.0 innings, gave up only one hit and had 2 strike outs.  The save goes to Cordero, the loser is Esmailin Caridad who pitched 1 inning, gave up 2 hits, and 4 runs, being a grand salami. 

The Reds will play game two of the series tomorrow at 1:10 PM ET, on the hill for Chicago will be Carlos Zambrano, while either Mike Leake will make his MLB debut for the Reds, or Harang will pitch.  The game is on FS Ohio.

Four Freshmen Declare For 2010's NBA Draft

John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Eric Bledsoe have all decided to enter their names in the 2010 NBA Draft. Patrick Patterson is still weighing his options because having declared once for the NBA Draft despite attending any workouts or pre-draft camps, the NCAA allows you to only enter the NBA Draft one time and still keep your collegiate eligibility. Patterson has a tough decision he and his family will make. Will he stay for four seasons and attend UK's graduate school to get his master's degree or jump to the NBA Draft to avoid a potential NBA Lockout in 2011 which would be no NBA Draft for the 2011-12 season forcing Patterson to sit out from basketball or play overseas for a season. If Patterson were to return, he could be UK's all-time leading scorer, trailing Dan Issel by 574 points who holds the record at 2138 points. DeMarcus Cousins has for gone his collegiate eligibility by signing with an agent today. Daniel Orton left earlier this week to head back to San Francisco to train for the NBA Draft where he trained last summer before coming to UK. Calipari met with each player 1-on-1 to discuss their future on what they should do and encouraged each player to enter their name in the NBA Draft.

Reds Get First Win of Season...Walkoff Style.

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in the third game of the season.  The Cardinals lead the series 2-0, but Cincinnati was trying to avoid the sweep.  To do so, Bronson Arroyo had to pitch good in his first start, and the Reds needed to avoid making mistakes that resulted in runs.  The Reds were able to do so as they won 2-1.

The game was scorless until the bottom of the fifth, when Bronson Arroyo hit an RBI single that scored the catcher, Ryan Hanigan to give the Reds their first lead of the season.  The Cards would then tie it up when Matt Holliday hit a solo home run to left field.  

There would be no score until the bottom of the ninth, when Motte was pitching, the batter, Jonny Gomes, who did not reach base at all yesterday.  It was 2-2 to Gomes, the pitch was a 87 mph fastball in the strike zone, high and out, and Goms hit a walkoff homer, his first of the season, to give Cincinnati their first victory of 2010.

Arroyo got a ND, dispite doing great, he pitcher eight innings, only gave up four hits, and one run.  He had six strikeouts and three walks.  The Cards starter, Brad Penny gave up one run on six hits four strikeouts, and two walks.  The winner is Cordero, who only pitched one inning, which was a three-up-and-three-down inning.  The loser is Jason Motte, who pitched only to Gomes, which would be the only batter he could face, since he hit a walkoff home run.

Also, Albert Pujols was hitless in three AB's, but walked once.

Be sure to check out highlights and a video recap of the series at the SWO Sports Highlight Center. 

Next, the Reds will host their hated rivals, the Chicago Cubs.  Homer Bailey will be on the hill for the Reds to start the series off, as Carlos Silva will throw for Saint Louis.   The first game is at 7:10 PM ET, followed by two 1:10 games.  All three games will be televised on FS Ohio.

Reds Fall in Opener

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds (0-1) were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals (1-0), Monday to start the 2010 season.  The Cardinals had Chris Carpenter on the hill while the Reds had Aaron Harang pitching on Opening Day for the fifth year in a row.  The Reds hit two long balls off of the Cards ace, but that was not enough to give the Reds a win.  The fianl score of this one, the Cardinals win 11-6.

The losing pitcher is Aaron Harang, who gave up four runs, three earned, five hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts.  In the first inning, Harang was a strike away from a one-two-three inning, but batting was you know who, Albert Pujols.  Pujols picked up the season right where he left off in 2009, he hit a solo home run to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead, from that point on, they never looked back.  In the fourth inning, Colby Rasmus hit a solo home run off of Harang to make it 2-0, then later on the Cards got another run when David Freese hit a RBI single to score Alber Pujols to make it 3-0.

The Reds would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Joey Votto hit a solo home run to left field, it was a two run ballgame.  In the same inning, Scott Rolen hit a solo home run to left to make it 3-2.  In the seventh inning, it was a 4-2 game, but Pujols increased the lead for St. Louis with a two-run home run off of Mike Lincoln to make it 6-2.  In the ninth, the Cardinals added five more runs, as if they needed them.  Four of the runs came off of a grand slam by Yadier Molina.  The Reds squeezed in six runs in this game, but I only talked about two, and that is all I will talk about.

So after the Reds lose another Opener, they will have tomorrow off and will resume play on Wednesday at 7:10 PM ET, it will be televised on FS Ohio.  The pitching match-up will be Adam Wainwright for the Cards and Johnny Cueto or Bronson Arroyo  for the Reds.

2010 Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Depth Chart

Starting Rotation

1. Aaron Harang
2. Bronson Arroyo
3. Johnny Cueto
4. Homer Bailey
5. Mike Leake

Bullpen

Closer Francisco Cordero
Arthur Rhodes
Daniel Ray Herrera
Mike Lincoln
Nick Massett
Micah Owings
Logan Ondrusek

Catcher

Ramon Hernandez
Ryan Hannigan

1st Base

Joey Votto
Miguel Cairo
Juan Francisco

2nd Base

Brandon Phillips
Miguel Cairo
Paul Janish

Shortstop
Orlando Cabrera
Paul Janish
Miguel Cairo

3rd Base

Scott Rolen
Paul Janish
Miguel Cairo
Juan Francisco

Left Field

Jonny Gomes
Chris Dickerson
Laynce Nix
Drew Sutton

Center Field

Drew Stubbs
Chris Dickerson

Right Field

Jay Bruce
Laynce Nix

Mike Leake Named as Reds Fifth Starter

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds have some great pitchers, especially the starters.  The Reds had a good idea of who their First thru Fourth starters would be, but the fifth starter was maked with a big question mark.  It could have been the newest pitcher, Aroldis Chapman, Mike Lincoln, Micah Owings, or the first round draft pick from 2009, Mike Leake, out of Arizona State.  The Reds picked Leake to be the fifth starter because of his preformance in Spring Training. 

The 22-year-old Leake was informed Friday afternoon that he was picked over Wood to be the Reds' fifth starter in the big league rotation. That also means he will get to skip the Minors completely and begin his pro career in the Major Leagues.




"It's kind of surreal right now. It has to soak in a little," Leake said moments after receiving the news from manager Dusty Baker, general manager Walt Jocketty and pitching coach Bryan Price.



Since the Reds do not need a fifth starter until April 11 vs. the Cubs, Leake will remain in Arizona and continue Spring Training. He is a non-roster player and will technically be assigned to the Minor League camp and a roster move will be made before his start. Cincinnati will have to remove someone from its 25- and 40-man rosters.