Mat Latos Replaces Votto, Phillips and Bruce By Himself Reds Reach New Heights

Mat Latos filled the void left by Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce by himself.  Chris Heisey helped the Reds to a 3-0 victory.

The Reds lineup was missing Joey Votto, who is on the disabled list after knee surgery.  Brandon Phillips is out of the lineup for the third straight day with a strained left calf.  Jay Bruce was sitting by manager Dusty Baker's decision because he is 2-for-29 lifetime against Pittsburgh starter Wandy Rodriguez.

Mat Latos filled the void with some help from Chris Heisey.

Latos first and foremost shutdown the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Feeling that Heisey's exciting inside-the-park  home run would not be enough, Latos took the reins and drove a Rodriguez on a line into the left field stands.  It was the third home run of Latos brief career.  Reds' pitchers have contributed three home runs to the offense.  Mike Leake hit the other two.

"It was a big, big mistake," Rodriguez said.  "I didn't expect him to swing.  I threw a fastball to the outside of the plate.  I was very surprised."

Latos was surprised he didn't get the take sign.

"A lot of times Dusty will give us the take sign on the first pitch," Latos said.  "You're looking down to thirdbase and get the take sign, then you get a pitch right down the middle.  He (Rodriguez) got me the first time.  He has one of the best curve balls in the league.  What am I going to do with that when I'm down a strike?  When Hanigan got the hit with two outs, I knew I was going to be able to swing."

Heisey hit a line drive to deep left field that rookie Starling Marte could not quite reach with a leaping effort.  The ball caromed toward center.  The speedy Heisey, running hard out of the batter's box, circled the bases on the fly, sliding into home well ahead of the relay throw.

The Pirates thought they may have gotten Heisey out on a close play.

"It was a high tag or we might have had him," Pirate manager Clint Hurdle said.  "If we hadn't missed the first relay we might have had him.  Rod Barajas did a good job blocking the plate.  We had to look at the replay 20 times.  The umpire only got to look at it once.  The truth be told McCutchen may have gotten caught up in watching the play.  He's saying come on make the catch, then he sees the carom before he explodes to the ball."

Rodriguez was hit hard but many line drives found Pirate gloves.  In the fifth with two outs, Ryan Hanigan lined a single to right.  Latos then lined the next pitch to left barely clearing the wall.

On the mound Latos was even better than he was at the plate.  Latos walked Travis Snyder in the first inning then retired nine straight until the Major League's leading hitter Andrew McCutchen singled up the middle.  Hanigan then threw McCutchen out attempting to steal.

Latos walked two batters in the fifth but got Clint Barmes to hit into a double play.  Rodriguez opened the sixth with a single but Marte hit into a double play.  In the eighth Pedro Alvarez singled and one out later pinch-hitter Michael McKenry singled.

Latos left the game with 7-1/3 innings of four hit shutout baseball.  He walked three and struck out four.

Newly acquited Jonathan Broxton got pinch-hitter Gabby Sanchez to hit into yet another double play.

Aroldis Chapman struck out two but hit McCutchen with a pitch.  The Pirates star was obviously bruised and clearly upset from it.

"I'm not talking about anything that happened in the ninth inning," McCutchen said.  "If that's all you're going to ask me you can leave now."

The Reds go a season high 24 games over .500 and at 4-1/2 games have it's largest lead over the division.
They continue to hold the best record in baseball at 65-41.  They have won 22 games out of 25 since the All-Star break.  They are 16-3 since Votto went on the disabled list.  They have won three straight games without Phillips in the lineup.

People around town question Dusty Baker's lineup and can't understand why he doesn't put his top players in the lineup every night.  He explains it over and over.  "You can't expect your guys on the bench to perform when you need them if they don't get to play.  You also have to keep you're guys fresh for late in the season."

The bench players Heisey, Miguel Cairo, Wilson Valdez and new arrival Xavier Paul has come to the Reds' rescue with the injuries to Votto and Phillips.