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Mat Latos > this.offense. Reds 2, Cubs 0.

Despite the continued offensive woes, Mat Latos cruised through a depleted Cubs' lineup to continue the Reds' winning ways.

By Wick Terrell
That's levitation, holmes.
That's levitation, holmes.
Brian Kersey

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Mat Latos continued his dominant 2013 run tonight, tossing 8 innings of shutout baseball, rarely even allowing the Chicago Cubs to threaten en route to earning the JNMHSotG.  Latos finished with 9 strikeouts, nary a walk, and just 6 scattered hits on the way to picking up his 12th meaningless stat of the season against just 3 meaningless other stats of the season.

He's outstatting himself.  That's so tough, only really good players can pull it off.  Mat Latos, fortunately, is really, really, ridiculously good at baseball, so be happy.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Brandon Phillips, whose Jedi mind saw me referencing his godawful swing mid-comment and chose to shame me by launching the game-deciding 2-run HR on the very next swing; and Aroldis Chapman, whose jazz hands dazzled us to a frazzle, baby babble!

Key Plays

  • Mat Latos put his right arm in, he pulled his right arm out, he put his right arm in, and he struck the Cubs all out.  He made them look all jokey as he turned them all around, and that's what it's all about.
  • In the Top of the 7th, Todd Frazier 2-holed himself into a leadoff walk, we all made 2-hole jokes while Joey Votto flied out to LF, and Brandon Phillips followed one of the worst swings of all time with one of the best of his season, as he pokeyed the hokey out of a Travis Wood slider that caught too much of the plate well over the stupid brick wall in stupid Wrigley.  Reds led, 2-0.
  • Latos tossed quite the game, but Dusty felt it necessary to get Aroldis some work, and he was probably right to think so.  Chapman came on for the 9th inning and promptly struck out the side on a mixture of mind-bending fastballs and knee-bending sliders, and that was all she wrote.  Reds win, 2-0!

FanGraph Section That Deserves a Madville-Induced Dallas Latos Picture With It

Yeah...so for the teenth time in the last teen times I've tried to link to FanGraphs, it's being wonky.  Honky wonky, even.  Tune in later...same Bat time, same Bat channel...for an updated version of the flat-line that took a major spike when Beep Beeped in the 7th.  Woo!

Edit: Well whaddaya know?  It's been fix'd!

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-08-12&team=Cubs&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=2013-08-12&team=Cubs&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

  • This was the perfect winning scenario for the evening; Latos pitched masterfully, former Red Travis Wood pitched masterfully, and one swing o' the bat proved to be the game-defining moment.  Woo!
  • Ryan Ludwick looked awfully 2012-Spring-Training-Ludwicky tonight, but, well, that's pretty much to be expected for the time being.  Hope he's ready for the playoffs, and hope the other bats in the Reds' lineup can carry the offense until he's back up to speed.
  • Travis Wood...dang, I miss the lil' bugger.
  • The Reds are now 20-4 in their last 24 games against the Cubs.  Wrigley, y'all...this must be the place.
  • Caption explain'd.

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