Reds 4 - 2 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Latos strikes out 13, Reds hang on to beat D'backs

Jun 24, 2013 - 1:07 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Shin-Soo Choo and Brandon Phillips each homered in the first inning, giving Mat Latos a lead he never relinquished.

Latos matched a career-high with 13 strikeouts, silencing the Arizona bats and helping the Cincinnati Reds avoid a three-game sweep with a 4-2 win.

The right-hander scattered six hits, walked two and allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings to improve to 7-1 this season and 3-0 in five career starts at Chase Field.

"(Latos) threw the ball great. He kept us in the game," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "We scored early. We didn't score anymore. We still got to work on scoring some more and some add-on runs, but we hit the ball hard. We just didn't get much to show for it late. It got a little exciting at the end, but still counts as a victory."

Latos kept the Diamondbacks off the board until the eighth. After fanning Cody Ross to open the frame, Latos gave up a double to Gerardo Parra, who advanced to third on a groundout. After Latos walked Paul Goldschmidt, Miguel Montero drove in Parra with a single to right.

Manny Parra was called up to get the final out and the southpaw retired the left-handed Jason Kubel on a grounder to first, preserving a 4-1 lead. Kubel had delivered a game-winning, two-run single off Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday.

Chapman nearly had another meltdown in the series finale. He retired the first two batters in the ninth before Cliff Pennington singled. After Pennington reached second on a defensive indifference, pinch-hitter Wil Nieves then hit a chopper up the middle to score Pennington.

After uncorking a wild pitch, Chapman drilled Gerardo Parra on the right forearm with a 3-2 offering. The hard-throwing lefty was able to collect his 19th save, however, as Willie Bloomquist flied out to Choo in center to end the game.

"You're not gonna win them all. We didn't really do anything wrong today. Sometimes you've got to tip your cap at the guy on the other side," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson.

Choo opened the contest by belting his fourth leadoff home run of the season, a shot to right off Arizona starter Randall Delgado (0-1). The second batter, Zack Cozart, doubled and scored on Phillips' historic blast to left.

Phillips became the Reds' all-time home run leader among second basemen with 153, breaking a tie with Joe Morgan.

The Reds looked to do more damage against Delgado in the second, but mustered only one run on a Cozart sacrifice fly after loading the bases with one out.

Game Notes

The Reds snapped a three-game skid, while Arizona had its winning streak halted at four games ... Choo now has nine career leadoff home runs ... The Diamondbacks last swept Cincinnati in a three-game set at home June 20-22, 2003 ... Delgado allowed six hits and walked one in five innings ... Parra has hit safely in 11 straight home games.






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