Latos Strong Start Helps Reds Win.

Reds starter Mat Latos has not gone deep into games that often as he would like this season but his start today he was mowing down Diamondbacks hitters as he was able to go  7 2/3 innings of one run ball including striking out 13 batters tying his career high as the Reds snap a 3 game skid winning 4-2 over D’Backs on Sunday afternoon in Chase Field in Arizona.

The offense helped Latos get some runs early in the first. Shin Soo-Choo hit a leadoff homerun to right his 11th of the season to get it going. They weren’t done Zack Cozart double to left then Joey Votto struck out swinging for the first out. Brandon Phillips came up in a mist of a slump on a 1-1 count lazed a ball to left for a two run homerun his 11th of the year to give the Reds a 3-0 lead off the gates in the first.

In the second inning Reds loaded up the bases with one out Cozart step in and on the first pitch hit a fly ball to deep left field for a sac-fly to extend the lead to 4-0.

Latos was on cruise control at one point he struck out six straight batters in a row and was dealing putting up zeros with little to no threat through seven innings. In the eighth he ran into trouble got the first two outs with eaesed then walked Paul Goldschmidt. He then allowed a single and then Miguel Montero singled to right to cut the lead to 4-1.

Dusty came to get Latos brought in Manny Parra got a groundout to end the eighth stranding the runners on first and second. In the bottom of the ninth Aroldis Chapman came in looking for redemption after yesterday collapse and it look like it was going to be a easy ninth as he was able to get the first two outs while throwing only 6 pitches. He allowed a hit, the runner advanced to second on defensive indifference a pinch hitter came up hit a ground ball to center over the defense for a hit to score a run and suddenly the tying run is on the plate in Parra. He hit him on the forearm on a 3-2 count and now every Reds fans is thinking “not again”!.

Willy Bloomquist step in as the winning run got him to fly out to center to preserve the save his 19th of the season for Chapman and the win for the ball club. Latos win his seventh of the season and the Reds were able to stay off being swept by the D’Backs. Day off tomorrow for the team as they will head to Oakland to take on the Athletics for a two game series’ starting Tuesday night at the Coliseum.