Let’s recap today’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 7
Chicago Cubs 4
W: M. Latos (3-0)
L: E. Jackson (0-5)
S: J. Hoover (2)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Joey Votto had two doubles, a single, an RBI, and a run scored. Todd Frazier went 2-3 with a walk, a run scored, and two RBI. Shin-Soo Choo had two hits and scored a run.
–Sean Marshall pitched a perfect inning of relief. JJ Hoover collected his second major league save.
–Donald Lutz had his first major league hit and first RBI.
NEGATIVES
–None.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–Just when everyone was freaking out about the ol’ Redlegs, Cincinnati sweeps the Cubs, finishes with a .500 road trip, and things start to look a little brighter. The Reds are back in second place.
–Mat Latos didn’t have his best start, but he did pick up his third win. Latos went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out six.
While he wasn’t sharp, Latos had actually put together four scoreless innings, until surrendering those three runs in the fifth.
The Reds got a scare in the fifth when Choo and (Brandon) Phillips ran into each other. The ball deflected off Phillips’ glove and hit Choo in the face. Trainers checked both players.
Phillips later exited in the eighth inning.
BP says he’s gonna be fine, and he’ll be back in the lineup tomorrow. We’ll see.
–Anyone else find it interesting that the Reds signed Jonathan Broxton to be the 2013 closer, yet when Aroldis Chapman wasn’t available today, Dusty Baker gave the ball to Hoover instead of Broxton?
–I’m so thankful that the Cubs exist. They practically gave away this series with some pretty poor play. As they say: Cubs gonna Cub.