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Reds hold on to beat Padres

Apr 12, 2011 - 7:37 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Heisey hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Edinson Volquez and the Reds' bullpen held up the lead in a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Jonny Gomes added a solo homer for Cincinnati, which had lost three of four coming in.

Volquez (2-0) shook off a shaky start and only gave up two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings to get credit for the win.

Mat Latos (0-1), who started the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, was charged with three runs on four hits in his six-inning start for San Diego, which salvaged the finale of a three-game series with the Dodgers on Sunday.

"I can't complain about anything," Latos said. "I didn't want a repeat of Spring Training. I kept the ball down in the zone and worked ahead. Everything felt fine."

Volquez didn't start out of as efficient as he finished. He put San Diego's first three hitters on base via two singles and a walk. Ryan Ludwick was then hit by a pitch to bring in Will Venable, and Brad Hawpe chased home Orlando Hudson with a sacrifice fly, though a diving catch by Heisey kept the damage to a minimum.

"I was fine. It's part of the game. There's nothing I can do about it but keep pitching and throw the ball well," Volquez said.

Nick Hundley left two runners on by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play, and the Padres hardly threatened from that point.

Gomes cut the deficit in half by taking a hanging breaking ball over the right-field wall in the fourth, and Heisey followed suit an inning later, as he turned on a fastball to also score Paul Janish for a 3-2 lead.

Volquez took over from there, retiring 11 straight at one point before leaving the game in the hands of the Reds' bullpen. Jordan Smith pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, then gave up a double to Alberto Gonzalez to start the next frame.

Gonzalez was erased when pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia's bunt fell only a few feet from the plate, allowing Ramon Hernandez to pounce on the ball and throw out the runner at third. Bill Bray entered from the bullpen and got into a lengthy battle with Jorge Cantu.

On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Bray struck out the pinch-hitter, and Hernandez caught Denorfia trying to steal second on the pitch.

Francisco Cordero closed it out in the ninth, shaking off a leadoff single by Hudson to record his second save of the season.

Game Notes

To clear a roster spot for Latos, San Diego optioned left-hander Wade LeBlanc to Triple-A Tucson...Dusty Baker won his 250th game with the Reds. He is one of 11 managers with at least that many wins with three teams...Latos went 14-10 with a 2.92 earned run average over 31 starts in his first full season in the majors last year.