Two of Cincinnati's struggling players, starter Mat Latos and second baseman Brandon Phillips, performed well in the 4-3 win. Latos pitched seven solid innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts, while Phillips chipped in with two home runs and three RBI.
Latos had especially come under fire after the past offseason trade in which Latos was acquired from the San Diego Padres in return for Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, Edinson Volquez and Brad Boxberger.
Prior to the game, Latos had a 2-2 record and a mediocre 4.63 ERA—nothing close to what Cincinnati expected when GM Walt Jocketty pulled the trigger on the offseason trade. Latos' ERA has been steadily dropping after a very poor start to the season, which saw his ERA balloon to an enormous 8.22 in April.
Entering the season, Phillips received a contract extension after lengthy ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - MLB By Dan Allen