Padres stay hot with 9th-inning win over Reds

San Diego, CA – Everth Cabrera smacked a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the San Diego Padres to their season-high sixth straight win as they downed the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, in the opener of a four-game set.

Logan Forsythe tied the game with a leadoff pinch-hit homer in the eighth, the Padres' third straight contest with a pinch-hit blast.

Yasmani Grandal lasered a one-hop double off the wall in right off Logan Ondrusek (3-2) to begin the ninth. After Yonder Alonso was intentionally walked, Cameron Maybin loaded the bases following a bunt single, chasing Ondrusek from the contest.

Cabrera then ripped the first pitch he saw off of Sam LeCure into left-center, plating Grandal for the winning run.

"What you've seen the last few weeks, more timely hitting," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "With a little bit more contributions from the lineup, it's better baseball overall."

Chris Heisey's RBI triple in the second accounted for the lone run for Cincinnati, which has dropped four of its last five games.

"That's another tough loss, We have to start winning those close ball games," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Traded for each other as part of a five-player swap in December, Mat Latos and Edinson Volquez were locked into a pitchers' duel over the first seven frames.

Coming off back-to-back complete games, Latos fired seven shutout innings, fanning eight while scattering four hits and walking two. His counterpart, Volquez, also lasted seven frames, striking out 10 while allowing five hits and three walks.

Latos was traded to Cincinnati from San Diego for Volquez, Alonso, Grandal and pitcher Brad Boxberger.

The 24-year-old Latos was attempting to become the first Red to win his eighth straight decision since Danny Graves in 2000, but Forsythe put a damper on those hopes when he stroked a leadoff shot to left off of Sean Marshall in the eighth.

With men on first and second in the opening inning, Volquez stepped off the mound and raced toward first to try and get Brandon Phillips in a rundown. Wilson Valdez raced toward home, but was thrown out.

Game Notes

Cincinnati was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base while San Diego finished 2-for-6 while stranding nine...Latos was attempting to become the first Cincinnati hurler to toss three straight complete games since Jose Rijo did so in September of 1990...Black was ejected from the game after arguing a call at first base in the seventh inning.