Leake sharp, but gets no support in loss

Right-hander Mike Leake didn’t enjoy the result, but he had no complaints about how he pitched Friday in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Leake (0-1) surrendered one run on six hits in eight innings, walked one and struck out six. But he was the victim of non-support from a struggling Cardinals offense that mustered just two singles, one of them by Leake.

“Good rhythm and Yadi (Molina) was doing a great job back there calling pitches,” Leake said. “That made it pretty easy on me. All (my pitches) were working pretty well. I felt like I could go to any of my pitches all night.”

Leake was 3-1 with a 3.81 ERA in six games in spring training and talked about feeling more mature with his approach heading into the regular season.

Nothing he did Friday altered that position.

“I’m trying to build up every time I go out there,” Leake said. “I think what I was able to gather during spring, and what I’ve carried on into this first start, I hope I can keep.”

Cincinnati scored the only run it needed in the sixth when Cardinals tormenter Billy Hamilton singled, stole second and scored on Joey Votto’s double into the right-field corner.

Leake said his down-and-in pitch to Votto was living dangerously.

“He likes that bottom-left quadrant,” said Leake, who played with Votto for seven seasons in Cincinnati. “It was in there for him.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said it was “a shame to lose a great start like that.”

“Leake was terrific — very much like what we’ve seen so far this spring (with) putting the ball exactly where he wanted to,” Matheny said. “We just couldn’t get anything going offensively. We made a few hard outs, but for the most part, we couldn’t get a good feel against (Amir Garrett). For a kid coming out making his debut, he threw a good game.”

Rosenthal bounces back

Reliever Trevor Rosenthal felt fine Friday after throwing a bullpen Thursday. Rosenthal is recovering from a strained right lat.

“We’re contemplating,” Matheny said regarding the Cardinals’ next move with Rosenthal. “We’ll either have him throw a live session to some of our hitters, guys who haven’t been getting that many at-bats, or else we’ll send him out for a short trip (to the minors).

“We want to continue to talk to the doctors to see what’s best in their minds. It looks like he’s getting close to coming back.”

Piscotty back in lineup

Right fielder Stephen Piscotty made his first start since Tuesday when he was hit in the left side of the head by a wild throw from second base. Piscotty batted fourth and was 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.

“He’s the best (cleanup hitter) today,” Matheny said. “It could be different tomorrow. In his short career, he’s proven to be able to drive runs in. It’s going to be a good chance with the three guys ahead of him, whoever’s there, to have opportunities with guys on base. The opportunities he’s had, he’s done as well as anybody coming through in those situations.”

Piscotty passed the concussion protocol Wednesday before the game against the Cubs was postponed by the threat of severe weather. He played the final three innings Thursday.

Wacha up next

Michael Wacha will make his first start of the season at 1:15 p.m. Saturday. Wacha was 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in seven starts and 26 innings in spring training.

“He was great,” Matheny said. “He was strong, healthy. A healthy Michael Wacha is going to be effective. That’s all there is to it.”

Wacha hopes to make it through a season with good health. He’s missed significant time in two of the last three years because of a stress fracture in his right scapula.　

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Leake sharp, but gets no support in loss."