Latos Goes The Distance As Reds Defeat Cardinals.

After losing the series to the Rockies yesterday a flight back from Colorado and a 2-4 road trip, the Reds skipped batting practice on the field Monday morning and on the heals of a very important 10 game homestand beginning first with the St Louis Cardinals.

They looked good on the field on this hot labor day afternoon in Cincinnati as they beat around against Adam Wainwright for the second time in 5 days, as the Reds opened a crucial four-game series against the Cardinals with a 7-2 victory on Monday afternoon. Mat Latos the ace of the staff pitches his first complete game of the season and his 4h of his career.

As said for the second straight time, Wainwright was hammered by the Reds offense. Wainwright, who allowed a career-high nine runs in two innings pitched in a 10-0 loss to the Reds last Wednesday, gave up six runs and 10 hits over six innings.

Shin-Soo Choo started the bottom of the first inning with a single to left field and was moved to second base on a Brandon Phillips sacrifice bunt. Choo scored from third base on Ryan Ludwick‘s two-out RBI single into center field to make it a 1-0.

Reds kept the pressure on Wainwright in the second inning as Todd Frazier led off with a ground-rule double. Zack Cozart next up hit an RBI single to center  and was moved over on a sacrifice by Latos. Choo next hit his 19th homerun of the season for a two-run shot and a 4-0 lead.

Cardinals got two runs back in the third inning, with back-to-back doubles from Wainwright and Matt Carpenter for the first run. Carpenter, who went to third base on a sacrifice, scored on a Matt Holliday sacrifice fly.

After that Latos was in cruise control keeping the Cardinals bats quiet by retiring 21 of his final 22 batters he faced, simply ace stuff by the big 25 year old. Latos ties his career high with his 14th victory of the seaaon as he improves to 14-5 this season.

The Reds came back in the bottom third as Jay Bruce led off with a double. After a one-out single by Devin Mesoraco, Frazier hit a RBI single to left.

In the bottom of the fourth, Joey Votto hit a two out opposite field homerun to left for his 21st of the season. The Reds added one in the eighth as the Cards walked in a run with the bases loaded.

The win is the only 6th against the Cardinals this season,  they still sit 3.5 games back in the NL Central as the Pirates move into first place with their win today. Tomorrow night pitching match up will be Homer Bailey and Michael Wacha. First pitch is at 7:10pm.

Sept 2, 2013; Cincinnati, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA Today Sports