04-08-2012, 12:00 AM
he Reds have been trying to turn Opening Night into something akin to Opening Day for several years.
This year, it worked. The game fell on a Saturday. The weather was perfect â 67 degrees at first pitch. They had Josh Hutcherson, star of the Hunger Games, in to throw out the first pitch. Eben Franckewitz, of American Idol, sang the National Anthem.
⢠Box score
⢠Take our Mat Latos quiz
⢠John Fay's Reds blog
Great American Ball Park was packed with 41,662 fans. It was the first time the first two games of the season have sold out since at least 1969.
The game, however, wasn't quite as big of a success. The Miami Marlins pounded the Reds 8-3, ruining Mat Latos' debut as a Red.
Latos went 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. He allowed a two-run, tie-breaking single to the last batter he faced.
Before the fifth, Latos pitched well. He allowed the leadoff man to reach in the second and third but escaped damage both times.
He was not so fortunate in the fourth. Emilio Bonifacio led off with single to right. Latos got Hanley Ramirez. But after Bonifacio stole second with Giancarlo Stanton at the plate, Stanton shot one down the third base line to get Bonifacio in.
The Reds came right back in their half the fourth. Zack Cozart led off with a shot to right that just got over Stanton's glove. Cozart motored around for a triple.
Two pitches later, Joey Votto sent a screamer into the seats in left-center. The 409-foot shot made it 2-1.
But Latos could not hold the lead. Omar Infante led off with fifth with a home run to left. Latos got the next two hitters. But Jose Reyes doubled. Latos then walked Bonifacio and Ramirez to load the bases.
Stanton lashed a line drive through the middle to get Reyes and Bonifacio in and make it 4-2.
The bullpen let it get away from there.http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...ning-Night
This year, it worked. The game fell on a Saturday. The weather was perfect â 67 degrees at first pitch. They had Josh Hutcherson, star of the Hunger Games, in to throw out the first pitch. Eben Franckewitz, of American Idol, sang the National Anthem.
⢠Box score
⢠Take our Mat Latos quiz
⢠John Fay's Reds blog
Great American Ball Park was packed with 41,662 fans. It was the first time the first two games of the season have sold out since at least 1969.
The game, however, wasn't quite as big of a success. The Miami Marlins pounded the Reds 8-3, ruining Mat Latos' debut as a Red.
Latos went 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. He allowed a two-run, tie-breaking single to the last batter he faced.
Before the fifth, Latos pitched well. He allowed the leadoff man to reach in the second and third but escaped damage both times.
He was not so fortunate in the fourth. Emilio Bonifacio led off with single to right. Latos got Hanley Ramirez. But after Bonifacio stole second with Giancarlo Stanton at the plate, Stanton shot one down the third base line to get Bonifacio in.
The Reds came right back in their half the fourth. Zack Cozart led off with a shot to right that just got over Stanton's glove. Cozart motored around for a triple.
Two pitches later, Joey Votto sent a screamer into the seats in left-center. The 409-foot shot made it 2-1.
But Latos could not hold the lead. Omar Infante led off with fifth with a home run to left. Latos got the next two hitters. But Jose Reyes doubled. Latos then walked Bonifacio and Ramirez to load the bases.
Stanton lashed a line drive through the middle to get Reyes and Bonifacio in and make it 4-2.
The bullpen let it get away from there.http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...ning-Night
