Reds vs. Giants Game 1 Recap

Better now than Latos

What a game last night. I was actually able to make it out to the ballpark for my first game of the year (other than the Futures game) and boy was it a doozy. It sure is more fun watching Reds games when they're launching balls all around the ballpark isn't it?

• Boy oh boy did the Reds really do a number on Matt Cain. The numbers alone won't tell you the whole story. 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB. A solid night for any pitcher right? I know most would've taken that from Mat Latos going into the night. But the thing that really did Cain in was his pitch count. He threw nearly 40 in the first inning alone, and from then on was really laboring. The Reds made him work hard for every out, something that they (frustratingly) have not done a lot this year. This is a pitcher who coming into the game had a 0.500 WHIP (Walks + Hits/ per inning pitched), 3.4 H/9 (hits per 9 innings), and 1.1 BB/9 (walks per 9 innings). Maybe his numbers were a little inflated after facing an awful Phillies offense, but the guy is an elite pitcher nonetheless, and Reds batters have struggled against him.
• What a night from the Reds offense! I knew coming back home to GABP would help some of these guys but I didn't think they'd all respond so quickly! Those of you who have read the blog the past few days may notice that the four players I mentioned yesterday (Brandon Phillips, Ryan Ludwick, Scott Rolen, and Jay Bruce) combined for 8 of the Reds' 9 RBI. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything but I am TOTALLY trying to toot my own horn. 
• I met Dallas Latos, wife of Reds pitcher Mat Latos, before last night's game. If you don't already follow her on Twitter, you should (@DallasLatos). The woman was as kind and personable as you hope she'd be, and her and I talked baseball, and Mat, and the Giants for a few minutes. I'm not trying to toot my own horn here but I totally told her that Mat was going to dominate a pretty bad Giants offense who he's owned so far in his career. After the win I tried to convince her to meet me for drinks before all of Mat's starts but I don't think she's having any of it.
• Oh yeah, how about her husband, Mat Freaking Latos? Dude was pitching like a boss last night. Let runners advance to third in each of the first two innings but really cruised after that until the 6th. Up until the 6th he was averaging less than 10 pitches per inning. He was good, he was pitch efficient, and he got us the win. THAT is why we traded for him.
• I tweeted last night that the ribbon scoreboards along the first and third baselines, and the one right below the Kroger Bleachers now show OBP and SLG for every batter. Pretty awesome for all those sabermetricians out there.
• Willie Harris got booed last night at the ballpark. His own ballpark. I understand some are disappointed in his play so far this year or perplexed as to why he is on the roster, but the dude is playing his butt off and had a pretty good game last night. Cut him a break and insult him in the privacy of your own homes, not at the ballpark.

• Buying a beer for: (I'll try to make this a regular feature after every Reds game. Sort of a player of the game type thing) Mat Latos. Sure, the offense went off last night, but we also saw from Mat Latos last night exactly what we needed, and wanted, to see from him: a 1/2 level pitcher who can give us 7 good innings. Being that Mat spent so many years in California, I'm totally buying him a west coast style IPA. Drink up, Mat.