Schraubertipps » coach and deserves loyal players,

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Leake has gotten stronger every year, and his fastball velocity has increased as a result. Even so, he still doesnt know where all those strikeouts came from. Leake allowed four hits in eight innings and had a career-high 12 strikeouts in the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. "It didnt feel like that many," said Leake, who allowed one run and walked one, which was intentional. "But I guess its a big accomplishment. Im not high on strikeouts." Cincinnati manager Bryan Price thinks Leake (6-6) could be a strikeout pitcher if that was his goal. "Hes pretty consistent hitting 93, 94 mph with his fastball," said the former pitching coach. "Thats not a fastball you have to apologize for. He could throw more pitches and be less effective but strike out more guys." Brandon Phillips had three hits, including a home run and double, and scored twice in his return to the lineup for the Reds, who won their fifth in six games. Leake, still looking for his first major league shutout, didnt try to talk his way onto the mound for the ninth. He hasnt pitched a complete game in nearly two years. Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances. "We have a good closer, why not use him?" Leake said. Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier each added two hits for the Reds. Bruce doubled in the seventh and has an extra-base hit in each of his last seven games, the longest streak by a Reds player since Dave Parker did it in eight straight in 1986. "We seem to play well here," Bruce said. "With this pitching staff, if you put runs on the board, you have a chance." Adam Duvall, making his major league debut, hit a home run for the Giants, who lost for the 12th time in 16 games. Ryan Vogelsong (5-4) allowed a run on five hits over six innings one day after Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. He struck out seven and walked one. "I rubbed up against him before the game, but it didnt work," Vogelsong said. "I just wasnt good enough." Jean Machi, who allowed Phillips home run leading off the seventh, had his scoreless streak end at 25 1-3 innings. Zack Cozart and Ryan Ludwick also drove in runs for the Reds, who have won eight of their last 10 games, including playoffs, in San Francisco. The Reds ended a scoreless duel with a run in the fifth. Phillips, who missed the last three games with a bruised heel, led off with a single. Two outs later, Cozart doubled him home. Bruce followed Phillips homer with a double and scored on Ludwicks single. Duvall hit a 0-2 pitch from Leake into the left field bleachers to put the Giants on the scoreboard. "Thats a feeling Ill never forget running the bases," Duvall said. "I tried to tell myself it was the same game, just a bigger crowd." Leake allowed a two-out double to Buster Posey in the first and then retired 15 of the next 16 hitters before Hunter Pences triple in the sixth. Leake improved to 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in four starts at AT&T Park. The Giants also threw out two runners at home. Billy Hamilton tried to score on Devin Mesoracos shallow fly to second baseman Joe Panik in the sixth, and Brandon Crawford nailed Mesoracso trying to score on Phillips double to centre field in the eighth. NOTES: Frazier has a 13-game hitting streak against the Giants. ... Chapman has at least one strikeout in each of his last 33 appearances, the longest active streak by a reliever and the fourth longest since 1900. . Reds LHP Tony Cingrani, optioned to Triple A Louisville on Friday, was placed on the minor league disabled list with a strained shoulder. That came as a surprise to the Reds, who sent him down to work. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (7-5, 1.86), the major league leader in ERA, pitches for the Reds on Friday night. Hes won his last two decisions. . LHP Madison Bumgarner (9-4, 2.63) goes for the Giants. Hes 2-2 in five starts against the Reds. ... Giants 1B Michael Morse was scratched because of illness. . Duvall became the 11th Giant since 1958 to homer in his first game. ... The Junior Giants Stretch Drive Fund, created in honour of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, began Thursday to help provide baseball programs in 90 underserved communities. Information can be obtained at the website jrgiant.org. Cheap Ducks Jerseys China .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. Cheap Anaheim Ducks Jerseys . - The Seattle Sounders busy off-season continues with the team acquiring defender Chad Marshall from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick and allocation money. http://www.cheapducksjerseys.com/ . Long snapper Patrick Mannelly announced Friday that he is retiring after a 16-year-career with the Bears, a span in which he played in a team record 245 games and snapped the ball 2,282 times. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Both had to wait out a rain interruption lasting nearly five hours before taking comprehensive third-round victories to join Carling Bassett-Seguso (1983, 1986), Patricia Hy-Boulais (1996-97) and Daniel Nestor (1999) as Canadians who made it into the second week of a major. Cheap Adidas Ducks Jerseys . -- With the Memphis Grizzlies struggling to find their offensive rhythm, O.(SportsNetwork.com) - On the surface, Rex Ryan going to Buffalo doesnt make all that much sense. After all, the Bills already had a pretty good defense with Jim Schwartz orchestrating things and its the offense which needs the tune-up, especially with veteran quarterback Kyle Orton walking off into the sunset and E.J. Manuel warming up for what could be his last opportunity to prove he is the answer in Western New York. So why did new Bills owner Terry Pegula land on the defensive-minded Ryan after a two-week coaching search, which included names like Indianapolis offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and his counterpart with New England, Josh McDaniels? The answer is Doug Marrone, Pegulas former coach who exited in such a fashion that loyalty became a much bigger deal to the organization than any particular scheme, be it offensive or defensive. Marrones agent, Jimmy Sexton, negotiated an escape clause in Marrones contract that gave the coach a three-day window at the end of the season in which he could terminate his deal with the team but still receive his full salary for the 2015 season, even in a double-dip situation in which Marrone coaches for a new team next September. When he takes a job, he already has a plan in place for his next job, Bob Casullo, a former Marrone assistant at the University of Syracuse, told ESPN Radio earlier this month. Whoever gave him that three-day opt-out clause, his agent is a genius and the person who signed it for the Buffalo Bills is a complete idiot. Pegula, of course, didnt hire Marrone and didnt negotiate the one-sided deal with him, but he was ready to move forward with the coach after a solid, albeit unspectacular, 9-7 season despite the fact that the Bills were unable to end a playoff drought that spans back to the 20th century. Uh, shocked, Pegula said at Ryans introductory press conference on Wednesday when asked about Marronees abrupt departure.dddddddddddd More than shocked, but hey, I liked Doug Marrone when he was here. He was probably the guy I talked to more than anybody. So he made that decision. He moved on. Not before issuing a mass text to his players to inform them of the news after employing his golden parachute out of Buffalo. Any time you get a text message saying that its happening, you feel like you got punched in the stomach, Bills running back Fred Jackson said on his radio show. I mean, stuff could have been handled different. It will be handled differently under Ryan, the very definition of a players coach and a man with the reputation of being loyal to a fault as well as painfully honest at times. This football team deserves a loyal coach and deserves loyal players, Ryan said while taking a not-so subtle dig at his predecessor, who Casullo described as self-centered, selfish and greedy. Thats what were bringing, Ryan added. Nobodys more loyal than me as a football coach. And nobody can get players more fired up than Ryan. We are going to build a bully and were gonna see if you want to play us for 60 minutes, Ryan said, reverting back to his pre-John Idzik persona with the New York Jets. Technically the Buffalo defense is already a bit of a bully, finishing fourth in total defense, while recording a league-leading 54 sacks and producing three Pro Bowl defensive linemen this past season. Fourth in the league was probably a little disappointing, the braggadocios Ryan said. I know well lead the league in defense. Im not going to let our fans down, he continued. Im not going to do that. I know its been 15 years since the Bills made the playoffs. Well, get ready, man. Were going. We are going. Going where? The guarantee? Hey, am I going to guarantee a Super Bowl? Ryan asked rhetorically. I tell you what I will do, I will guarantee the pursuit of it. ' ' '