Cactus League Champs Dump Reds, Two Games Left

Break up the Kansas City Royals.

The blue clad darlings of the plains waltzed to their 24th win of the spring and third over the Reds.

The Reds jumped ahead against Ervin Santana when the first three Reds had hits.

Shin-Soo Choo singled.  Brandon Phillips singled and Joey Votto doubled into the leftfield corner, but had to be awarded secondbase when he ran into a stout Billy Butler, playing firstbase for Kansas City, as Choo scored.

Both men tumbled to the ground but no one was hurt.  The umpire awarded Votto secondbase on the play as Butler protested.

 "There has to be a stopping point. I'm basically letting him go by so I can trail him," Butler said. "I'm not trying, nor do I ever try to get in his way. It is always the defender that gets the obstruction. The rule says the baserunner creates his own base path but it's got to stop somewhere."

Votto was stranded as Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce struck out.  The Reds scored  a run in the second inning. Ryan Hanigan doubled and scored when Mat Latos singled. The Redsa loaded the bases with one out but Votto hit a comeback ball to Santana on the mound to start a 1-2-3 double play.

The Reds had other chances, leaving runners on second and third twice.

"We should have had eight runs," Baker said. "We left second and third twice, bases loaded. We had a lot of opportunities to break that game open. It's got to get better picking up those runs. It's frustrating sometimes."

Latos was hit up for five runs in the second inning.

Alex Gordon hit his seventh home run.  Salvador Perez hit his second of the spring with two men on.  Lorenzo Cain tripled home Eric Hosmer.


 "Latos was fine," Baker said. "Before the game he was coughing. He had to get his work in. He didn't throw the ball bad."

Latos allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk but finished the third.  He still struck out five in his three innings.

The Royals added on against Manny Parra, trying to win a spot in the bullpen as the third left-hander. Parra, who signed as a free agent with the Reds in January, is trying to make the team as its third left-hander. He allowed three runs on five hits in two innings. He has a 5.28 ERA for the spring.

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