Boxscore

A lightning storm blew through before the game, prompting the team to open the gates early to let the fans who were already waiting in line for their Jay Bruce bobbledheads find shelter. The rain made the bobblehead boxes soggy, but it didn’t cancel the game, which was maybe too bad for the Reds.

Mat Latos was the starter and he had his worst appearance since that debacle against the Indians last month. He only worked 4.2 innings, but he gave up 5 runs (earned) on 6 hits and 2 walks.

Sam LeCure scorelessly finished the fifth and took on the sixth. Bill Bray got a chance in the seventh and didn’t allow so much as a hit.

Jose Arredondo didn’t fare so well. He gave up 2 more runs (1 earned) on 3 hits before he could get the third out in the eighth. Logan Ondrusek finished off the inning and the game with no more runs, but it was far too late by then.

There wasn’t much scoring to talk about on the Reds’ part, but there were plenty of hits. Drew Stubbs continued his shocking about-face toward goodness by going 2-for-4 with the team’s only RBI.

Todd Frazier, who’s got some pretty big shoes to fill while filling in at first base, also went 2-for-4. His AVG is .277 (second highest in the line-up last night to Brandon Phillips) and his OBP is .343 (second in the line-up last night to Ryan Hannigan). They aren’t Joey Votto numbers by a long shot, but if there’s a silver lining to the arthroscopic cloud, it may be consistent playing time for Frazier.

The loss brings the Reds record to 51-40 and pushes them back into a tie with the Pirates. They try to split the 4-game series today at 12:35 p.m. Mike Leake (3-6, 3.96 ERA) defends against Joe Saunders (4-6, 3.52 ERA).