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Reds blank Pirates

May 6, 2012 - 10:47 PM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Drew Stubbs belted a two-run homer, Mat Latos overcame a sluggish start to pitch six strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Stubbs finished 3-for-4 and scored three runs for the Reds, who have won five of their last seven games.

Latos (2-2) limited the Pirates to two singles and struck out a career-high 11 batters. Three relievers combined to complete the three-hit shutout.

"He threw well and he kept us off balance," Pirates outfielder Alex Presley said about Latos.

Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (1-3) was tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six frames.

The Pirates were trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since April 17-18.

Cincinnati pushed across a run in the first inning. Stubbs drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on Morton's errant pickoff attempt before scoring on a single by Joey Votto.

Latos hit the first batter he faced -- Jose Tabata -- and issued consecutive one-out walks to Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez. The first-year Red escaped the jam by getting Casey McGehee on a liner to third and retiring Nate McLouth on a called third strike.

"Try to knock it down basically," Reds third baseman Todd Frazier said about his diving catch with the bases loaded. "Luckily got it in the glove, almost snuck out there at the end."

Frazier doubled the Reds' lead in the second with his first home run of the season, a two-out drive to left field, and Stubbs made it 4-0 in the third when he followed a leadoff walk by Zack Cozart with a home run to center field.

Brandon Phillips plated Stubbs with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Game Notes

Latos had given up 10 runs over his first two road starts this year...The Reds recorded their 999th win over the Pirates...Morton had allowed three earned runs or less in seven straight starts at PNC Park...Last season, Morton compiled a 3-0 record with a 0.93 ERA and tossed two complete games in four starts against Cincinnati.