CINCINNATI, May 21 (UPI) -- Mike Leake tossed eight strong innings and ignited a back-to-back-to-back home run spree Monday in Cincinnati's 4-1 win over the Braves.
Leake (1-5) earned his first victory of the season after seven fruitless starts, allowing only a second-inning homer to Juan Francisco and a Dan Uggla double in the seventh.
In between, the right-hander set down 14 straight batters, finishing with six strikeouts and allowing one walk.
Sean Marshall earned his eighth save after Jose Arredondo walked two batters in the ninth.
Leake's fourth-inning solo blast was the first three straight Reds homers. The next two batters, Zack Cozart and Drew Stubbs, followed him with bases-empty shots off Mike Minor (2-4).
Stubbs also homered in the first for Cincinnati, which took the first contest of a four-game set and logged its third straight win overall.
The Reds came into the game trailing first-place St. Louis by a half-game in the National League Central.
Minor yielded four runs on five hits over six frames, issuing four walks.
