Pirates-Reds Game 2 Preview

Feb 15, 2014; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake throws during team workouts on the practice fields of Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates get to resumed their homerun derby fest later this afternoon, maybe the pitching can improved, because last night the batters were locked in and centered.

The teams will resume at 5:30 p.m the game last night was suspended by rain with the score tied at 7 after six innings and a Great American Ball Park-record 10 home runs.

Neither manager declared who will handle the pitching for the resumed game. Perhaps they just didn’t want to subject any of their hurlers to a restless night.

“We’ll start one of the relief pitchers,” was as far as Cincinnati manager Bryan Price would mentioned. “We know who it will be, but we’re not going to announce it now.”

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle’s relief options are wide open.

Two guys who already know they will be pitching later Tuesday are the Pirates’ Gerrit Cole and the Reds’ Mike Leake, the starters for game 2 at 7:10pm after the completion of the rain suspended game 1.

Leake went 3-0 last season against the Pirates and now comes off the best start by any Reds pitcher in this young season, eight scoreless innings with four hits allowed against the Cardinals in a 4-0 win last Wednesday. He faced two batters over the minimum and had 17 outs via grounders, including two double plays.

“When I’m going well, I get more ground balls. Fortunately there were situations where we were able to get double plays and I could keep the ball down in the zone.” Leake said.

Like all of Major League Baseball, the Reds will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day to mark the 67th anniversary of the day the Brooklyn Dodgers great broke baseball’s color barrier. Both teams will have all on-field personnel wearing No. 42.

Among the festivities, the Reds will honor their first African American player, Chuck Harmon, who debuted in the big leagues 60 years ago on April 17, 1954. Harmon, who turns 90 on April 23, will receive the Powel Crosley Jr. Award, created to honor individuals who “exemplified the former Reds owner’s spirit of dedication, devotion and service to the club over an extended period of time.”

Injured Reds lefty reliever Sean Marshall, currently on the disabled list because of a sore left shoulder, is slated to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday at Triple-A Louisville and pitch an inning in back-to-back games.

REMINDER: completion of Game 1 (resumed in the top of the 7th: 5:30pm

Game 2: 7:10pm

Both games will be on FSN OHIO and radio on 700 WLW.