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Alfredo Simon hadn't made a start in two years before this season.
"I want to show them that I can be a starter in the big leagues," Simon said in spring training.
Simon improved to 9-3 with the Reds' 4-1 win to even the series at 2-2 and the homestand at 5-5.
He got his chance when Mat Latos fought back from two surgeries and after 13 starts, it appears that Simon can indeed be an effective starter in the Major Leagues.
Now the 33-year old is tied with Adam Wainwright for the National League lead with nine wins.
"There is an element of surprise," said Bryan Price, who was Simon's pitching coach the last two seasons. "Pitching this deep into games and continue to stay aggressive. That was a tight game where one swing could have tied it or put us behind."
The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped on Simon in the first inning for a run. With one out Justin Turner, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp singled to put the Dodgers ahead, 1-0.
Simon had 42 pitches after two innings but finished by tying his season-high with eight innings pitched and 104 pitches.
"I was a little too quick in the first inning. I got some pitches up. I just tried to slow down," Simon said. "I have been able to throw my slider and splitter for strikes. My slider looks like a fastball and when they hit it, they hit it on the ground."
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"I was just hoping I hit it enough," Frazier said. "I talk about finishing all the time. We finished today and that was big."
Grienke, who leads all the Majors with a .761 win percentage (54-17) since 2011, won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with Kansas City.
Simon matched him pitch-by-pitch inning by inning.
From the second inning to the top of the sixth, Simon retired 11 batters in a row.
"He really tightened up to allow him to stay in the game," Price said. "Early it looked like it would take a lot of pitches."
The Dodger put together a threat in the seventh. Kemp and Andre Eithier had back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third with no outs.. Simon got Tim Federowicz to fly out to Jay Bruce in shallow right. Miguel Rojas hit a slow roller to third. Frazier fired home to catch Kemp in a rundown. Frazier tagged Kemp and flipped to Zack Cozart covering third and nearly double up Eithier. Simon struck out Scott Van Slyke batting for Grienke.
"We had a lot of confidence sending him out there for the eighth. To have a guy pitch seven innings like that and lose it doesn't sit well. That being said you want your best guy out there."
Simon pitched a scoreless eighth stranding a runner by getting ground balls from Puig and Gonzalez.
"I am glad he gave me a chance," Simon said. "I want to prove to him (Price) that I can pitch. I know that I have to pitch my best. I'm not really surprised I have good stuff. I like it here in Cincinnati. The guys like me here."
The Reds expanded the lead in the eighth.
Cozart ledoff with a double off Brandon League. Billy Hamilton batted for Simon and bunted Cozart to third. Cozart scored on a wild pitch. Skip Schumaker doubled. Joey Votto walked. Ryan Ludwick pinch hit for Brandon Phillips, who appeared to be shaken up on a play at second.
Ludwick singled to score Schumaker.
Phillips jammed his index finger. He could throw but had trouble gripping a bat.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a hit and a walk but struck out three to nail down his 10th save and eighth in a row.
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