Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Oakland 1
Cincinnati 3
W: M. Latos (11-3)
L: D. Straily (6-6)
S: A. Chapman (26)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–So, as it turns out, Mat Latos is pretty good, eh? Tonight: 7.1 shutout innings, four hits allowed. The kid can pitch a little bit.
–Shin-Soo Choo reached base three times in four at-bats, going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored. That’s a perfect line for a leadoff hitter.
–Joey Votto had two hits in four ABs. Jay Bruce only had one hit, but it was his 23rd homer of the season. Bruce also made a beautiful running catch on the warning track that saved a run.
NEGATIVES
–None.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–A win after an off-day means that we are on a two-day streak during which the Reds haven’t disappointed us. Hurrah!
–I think we can all give credit for tonight’s win to Teddy Kremer, who served as Reds batboy again. Good job, Teddy!
–I’m fine with Dusty Baker using Aroldis Chapman tonight, especially since the Reds have an off-day on Thursday. But Chapman’s appearance tonight was yet another illustration of the absurdity of the “save” stat. Chapman entered the game with a 3-run lead, and he was set to face the Oakland 6-7-8 hitters. That’s a tough situation?
–Aaaaahh, who cares? Reds win, and that’s a good thing. Homer Bailey will pitch tomorrow afternoon, going for the sweep of this short two-game series.