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Choo bashes another home run as Reds clip Cards

By Korea Herald

Published : Sept. 3, 2013 - 19:45

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CINCINNATI (AP) ― One very bad and very short day in St. Louis, followed by another bad game in Cincinnati. Adam Wainwright doesn’t understand why he’s having a really tough time getting the Reds out.

Choo Shin-soo and Joey Votto homered on Monday as Cincinnati roughed up Wainwright for the second start in a row, and Mat Latos went the distance for the first time this season in a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Latos (14-5) credited an offense that seems to have Wainwright’s number.
Cincinnati Reds center fielder Choo Shin-soo hits a two-run home run in the second inning. ( AFP-Yonhap News) Cincinnati Reds center fielder Choo Shin-soo hits a two-run home run in the second inning. ( AFP-Yonhap News)

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, but there’s definitely more of an anxiety added when you have a guy like Wainwright,” said Latos, who allowed four hits. “We were fortunate to be able to get to him today.”

Fortunate? Or maybe they’ve figured him out?

“I don’t know about that,” said Ryan Ludwick, who singled home a run. “I think we’ve gotten some pitches to hit the last two outings we’ve faced him, and we’ve done damage.”

Latos gave up a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly by Matt Holliday in his fourth career complete game.

The third-place Reds are trying to end the Cardinals’ season-long dominance during their four-game series at Great American Ball Park. St. Louis has won the last seven series between the teams and is 10-6 against Cincinnati this year.

The Cardinals took two of three in St. Louis last week, the only loss coming when the Reds tagged Wainwright (15-9) for nine runs in a career-low two innings. They hit him hard again on Monday, piling up six runs and 10 hits in six innings.

The Reds quickly got to Wainwright. Choo opened the first with a single and scored on Ludwick’s two-out single. Ludwick missed more than three months with torn cartilage in his right shoulder, but the left fielder is starting to get his swing back in shape. Ludwick has driven in a run in each of his last four games.

Zack Cozart singled home a run in the second, and Choo’s two-run homer made it 4-0. Choo leads all major league leadoff hitters with 19 homers. He has three homers during a six-game hitting streak, which includes four multihit games.

Kershaw, Dodgers pull out win

DENVER (AP) ― Clayton Kershaw surrendered a career-high 11 hits in five shaky innings and got the win and Yasiel Puig scored the go-ahead run before leaving with a strained right knee as the surging Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 10-8 on Monday.

Puig was called out for interference on the bases in the first inning. He then hurt his knee on an awkward slide into third base and gingerly jogged home on Hanley Ramirez’s sacrifice fly in the sixth, before being replaced in right field.

Andre Ethier had three hits, including a two-run homer, to lift the Dodgers to their fifth straight victory. They’re now 35-8 since the All-Star break.

Kershaw (14-8) didn’t have his usual dominant command, giving up five runs as his ERA jumped from a league-leading 1.72 to 1.89. He had a productive day at the plate, though, lining a two-run single in the fifth. Jeff Manship (0-5) took the loss as he gave up three runs ― two earned ― in relief of starter Chad Bettis.

Minnesota 10, Houston 6

NY Yankees 9, Chicago White Sox 1

Atlanta 13, NY Mets 5

Detroit 3, Boston 0

Kansas City 3, Seattle 1

Pittsburgh 5, Milwaukee 2

Miami 4, Chicago Cubs 3

San Diego 4, San Francisco 1

Baltimore 7, Cleveland 2

Oakland 4, Texas 2

Toronto 4, Arizona 1

Philadelphia 3, Washington 2

LA Angels 11, Tampa Bay 2