We Like Ike! Reds 7, Mets 4.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Today, Zack "MVP/GG" Cozart threw Zack "why the hell is he batting 2nd" Cozart to the curb in impressive fashion. Cozart became the first player to have 3 hits in a game off of Mets' ace Matt Harvey, and would up having a 4 for 5 day with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. I'll admit, however, that if Chris Welsh had been summoned from the booth to the mound, thrown a single pitch, and that pitch was hit 500 feet for a HR, he may well have won the JNMHSotG today, but as it stands, Cozart gets the nod. Here's to hoping Cozart can string this into a bit of a hot streak.

Honorable Mentions are due to Joey Votto (2 for 3, HR, 3 runs); Brandon Phillips (2 for 4, 2B*, 2 RBI); and Todd Frazier (PH 2RBI single in the Top of the 9th).

Key Plays

• Unlike in their previous encounters, it was the Mets who jumped out to an early lead today. In the Bottom of the 1st, Daniel Murphy led off with a double, and Rick Ankiel followed with the first of his doubles on the day to make it 1-0. The Reds struck back in the Top of the 3rd, however, when Zack Cozart doubled and Joey Votto followed with an opposite field smash on a 3-0 pitch from Harvey. Reds led, 2-1.
• In the Bottom of the 5th, Ruben Tejada led off with a double and advanced to 3B on a sacrifice by Harvey, and he then scored to tie things up on a Murphy sac fly. Game tied, 2-2.
• It sure looked as if the Reds had taken command of this one in the Top of the 7th. Cozart, Votto, and Phillips each singled to chase Harvey, and Bruce followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-2 Reds. Latos was brought back out for the 7th, though, and got knocked around a bit. John Buck led off with a single and was replaced on the basepaths by a fielder's choice hit by Tejada. A grounder moved him to 2B, and he then scored on another single by Murphy. Despite the fact that Ankiel had hit Latos hard all day, the big right hander was left in to face the left handed Ankiel despite being at 100 pitches. Ankiel promptly tripled to LF to score Murphy to tie things at 4-4.
• Fortunately, the Reds weren't done. Fortunately, Ike Davis still plays for the Mets. In the Top of the 9th, Shin-Soo Choo legged out a leadoff double and moved to 3B on Cozart's soft grounder. The Mets then intentionally walked Votto, and Brandon Phillips hit a cueball down the 1B line. Ike Davis reached for it like he was going in to pick up some dog poo, and the ball hit the line and bounced over his glove and first base, allowing Choo to score. Phillips ended up at 2B with Votto at 3B, and while Davis looked on baffled, the official scorer scored it as a double. Regardless, it was the go-ahead run on what could've been an inning ending double play, and Todd Frazier followed with a pinch-hit soft liner to CF that scored both Votto and Phillips for insurance. Aroldis Chapman, looking more like the Aroldis of old than the Aroldis of this weekend, shut down the Mets for the save, and that was that. Reds win, 7-4!

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-05-22&team=Mets&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width = "450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-05-22&team=Mets&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

• While the final score (and their respective final stat lines) won't reflect it, this was a pretty good pitcher's duel between Mat Latos and Matt Harvey through 6 innings tonight. Neither seemed to have their best stuff, but both are talented enough to still be effective when that happens, and they both were.
• With Phillips' double in the 9th, he became the Reds all-time leader in doubles by a 2B, passing Joe Morgan.
• Hi Chris!
• No Reds game tomorrow means I've got the blues. I've got 'em bad.
• Hi Ram! Thanks for the title tip.