Latos pitches his first stellar April
By
Zeldink
Posted at 6:40 am
It took four tries, but Mat Latos finally overcame his streak of terrible Aprils to start seasons. That it came in his second year with the Cincinnati Reds is not really a surprise, given how much looser he was coming into camp.
Latos talked about this during spring training, mentioning the pressure that he felt after the trade in 2012.
“Who’s to say that I’m that good to be traded for four guys? That’s what killed me,” Latos said. “If I had been traded for one guy, it would have been a lot different. Something like that happens, automatically there’s a pressure regardless. You’re like, ‘Crap, I’ve got to prove that I’m worth four guys.'”
That feeling is over with this year.
And the results have shown it. Consider his first three Aprils in the majors.
| Year | W | L | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 6.20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 20.1 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1.475 | 5.8 | 2.17 |
| 2011 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 4.98 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 21.2 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 1.338 | 10.4 | 2.50 |
| 2012 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 5.97 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 28.2 | 35 | 19 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1.570 | 5.7 | 1.80 |
6.20, 4.98, and 5.97. Those are not the ERAs of someone who starts the season strong.
Now look at 2013.
| Year | W | L | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.83 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 39.1 | 35 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 1.093 | 8.5 | 4.63 |
An ERA below 2.00 and almost 40 innings. Back in the spring, Latos had this to say.
“I’m hoping to resurrect my April,” Latos said.
With those stats, consider that mission accomplished. Now if he can make this his weakest month, then 2013 will be shaping up to be an amazing year.
I’m so glad Mat Latos is a Red.