Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
St. Louis 2
Cincinnati 4
W: M. Latos (6-0)
L: T. Lyons (2-2)
S: A. Chapman (16)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Strong start by Mat Latos. In running his record to 6-0, Latos pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, striking out five while walking none. The kid is a stud pitcher.
–Devin Mesoraco was 2-4 with two RBI, a run scored, and his third homer of the season. Jay Bruce was 2-4 with his tenth homer of the year.
–Joey Votto and Derrick Robinson were each 2-4 with two doubles. Shin-Soo Choo was 2-4, but he could only muster up a couple of singles.
–Zack Cozart went 0-4, but he did it from the eighth spot in the lineup. That’s a positive.
NEGATIVES
–None.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–Now that’s more like it. An entertaining game, a Reds win against a division rival. A good ol’ good one at the ol’ ball orchard tonight.
–The Reds had five batters finish the evening with two hits in four at-bats.
–Mat Latos has beaten the Cardinals three times this season. Those are the only wins the Reds have recorded against Saint Looey in 2013. Mat Latos is good.
–Derrick Robinson probably isn’t the answer in the two-spot in the batting order. But with Cozart’s demotion to eighth (where he should have been all along) tonight, Robinson contributed to a great night at the top of the lineup. The first three hitters were 6-12 with four doubles. That’ll get it done.
–Jay Bruce has 39 homers off left-handed pitchers over the last four seasons. That’s more than any left-handed hitter in the entire major leagues. Chew on that for a moment.