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Padres host Reds in Latos' season debut

Apr 11, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Padres envisioned 14-game winner Mat Latos starting on Opening Day, but a right shoulder injury altered those plans.

Healthy and ready to go, the right-hander makes his 2011 debut this evening in the first of three straight games against the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park.

Latos emerged as one of San Diego's most consistent hurlers a season ago, going 14-10 with a 2.92 earned run average over 31 starts in his first full season in the majors. He also struck out a team-leading 189 batters and walked 50 over 184 2/3 innings.

The 23-year-old went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in four Spring Training starts, pitching just 10 innings before landing on the disabled list on March 22. His return should be pleasing to San Diego manager Bud Black.

"It's time to get him back on the horse," Black told San Diego's website. "He feels ready. ... I think he's excited for his first start of the year."

Latos did not face the Reds last season, but did beat them during his 10-start debut in 2009. He held the club to just a run over seven innings of his third career start.

Latos will have a chance to pitch San Diego to back-to-back wins after the club snapped a three-game slide with Sunday's 7-2 win over Los Angeles. The Padres had plated just six runs over their skid, but got a two-run homer from Nick Hundley and solo shots by Ryan Ludwick and Cameron Maybin.

Aaron Harang turned in six strong innings, allowing three hits and two runs, only one of which was earned.

The Padres will try to get to Reds starter Edinson Volquez early tonight seeing that he has thrown 74 pitches and allowed a total of seven runs in the first inning of his first two starts this season.

Volquez needed 30 pitches to get through the first inning of his Opening Day start versus the Brewers on March 31 and ended up with a no-decision in his club's 7-6 win after allowing five runs over six innings. It was much of the same on Wednesday versus Houston as the right-hander was charged with four runs on five hits and five walks over just five innings of work. However, he got plenty of support to claim a 12-4 win while striking out eight.

The 27-year-old Volquez is 0-1 with a 2.03 ERA in three career games against the Padres, including two starts.

The Red have dropped three of four since starting the season with five straight victories, and blew a 5-0 lead in yesterday's 10-8 setback at the Diamondbacks. Arizona went ahead for good with four runs off Cincinnati reliever Nick Masset in the eighth inning.

"When you have an opportunity to ice the game, you have to put your foot on their throat," Reds manager Dusty Baker told his club's website. "We're still learning to do that. We had opportunities to ice that game early and go deep in their bullpen."

Joey Votto had four hits and Jonny Gomes connected on a two-run homer as part of a three-RBI game.

The Padres have won 10 of their past 13 versus the Reds, going 5-1 at home in that span.