Dioner Giveth, and Dioner Taketh Away. Reds Falter Late, Lose 3-2.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Mat Latos threw a complete game, 13 K, 1 run gem in his last start against the Brewers, and was almost equally as effective today. Latos went 7 innings, striking out 8 and again allowing only 1 run. He was pulled after only 97 pitches, however, despite having thrown 109 in his last outing vs. Milwaukee (and as many as 117 two starts ago against Colorado). Mat also went 2 for 2 with a walk at the plate today, upping his season batting line to .163/.213/.256 with 1 HR; in comparison, today's starting 1B, Miguel Cairo, currently sports a robust .160/.183/.220 line...with 0 HR. Good thing Xavier Paul was good enough for us to not want Lyle Overbay. Yeesh.

Honorable mention to Dioner Navarro, who belted a 2-run homer in the 3rd. Dishonorable mention to Dioner Navarro for forgetting how to play catcher in the 8th inning.

Key Plays

• Things were slow until the 3rd, when Miguel Cairo singled and scored on Navarro's first career HR as a Red, a high shot down the Left field line. Reds lead, 2-0.
• Mat Latos was cruising again today. His only hiccup came in the bottom of the 6th when Carlos Gomez destroyed a solo schnitzel to Centerfield. In a rather shocking turn of events, Gomez didn't flip his bat after contact...this time. Reds lead, 2-1.
• This game hit the fan in the 8th. Johnathan Broxton was brought in for Latos, and allowed a 2 out infield single to Norichika Aoki, who then stole second and advanced to third on an errant Navarro throw. Gomez then blooped a single, scoring Aoki, and promptly stole second on Broxy/Navarro before scoring on Ryan Braun's jam-shot. The Reds mustered no runs in the 9th, and that was that. Reds lose, 3-2.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

• That Fangraph sucks.
• Today's loss marks the 4th in a row for the Reds. The 2nd place Pirates take on the Diamondbacks tonight 3.5 games out of first in the NL Central. Beginning in 1993, the Pirates haven't won a division championship; here's to keeping that streak alive.
• The Reds will make the short 90 minute cab ride from Milwaukee down to Chicago to face the Cubs at 8:05 pm tomorrow. Unfortunately, today's getaway day lineup was constructed as if the Reds had a 2 day flight to Madagascar scheduled.
• In honor of Randy Wolf's 49 mph boceephus pitch.