Cubs' Mark Leiter: Earns second win

Leiter (2-3) tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout to earn the win Saturday against the Reds.

Leiter pitched a clean top of the eighth inning in a 5-5 tie, then moved into position for the win when the Cubs scored twice in the bottom half of the frame. The righty surpassed last season's win total in the process, and he's been about equally effective in the ERA department, as he's sitting with a 3.52 mark so far this year compared to 3.50 in 2023. Leiter is missing more bats, however, as his K/9 is up to 12.1 from 10.8 last season. His FIP is also down to 2.05 from 3.76 last season, suggesting his current ERA may trend downward.