Latos pitches 4 scoreless innings for Reds

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Mat Latos justified the expense of three top prospects with his outing.

Latos threw four scoreless innings and Drew Stubbs hit his first home run of the spring to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Friday night.

Latos allowed two singles and struck out three.

The Reds traded three of their top prospects and former All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez to the San Diego Padres to obtain the 24-year-old Latos.

"Latos was excellent," manager Dusty Baker said. "He had command of his breaking ball."

Stubbs hit a three-run homer off Alex White in the Reds' four-run second. Stubbs hit 22 home runs in 2010, but had only 15 last season and set a team record with 205 strikeouts.

"That was a long home run by Stubbs," Baker said.

Stubbs led off against the Rockies, but Baker will likely hit him further down in the order when the season starts.

"We want to take some of the pressure off him," Baker said.

White allowed four hits and three walks in four innings.

The 23-year-old pitcher was Cleveland's first pick in the 2009 draft. Colorado traded Ubaldo Jimenez, who was one year removed from an All-Star season, to obtain the White.

"Alex struggled with his command," Jim Tracy said. "That is something that we're trying to get arrested. I'm anxious to see how he bounces back."

The Reds' Jay Bruce walked and scored but was held hitless for the first time in eight games this spring.

Brett Tomko, trying to make a comeback with the Reds, pitched three perfect innings.

"Tomko was very good as well," Baker said.

The 38-year-old Tomko, who was originally taken by the Reds in the second round of the 1995 draft, has pitched in just eight games since a pinched nerve in his right shoulder during his 100th major league win cost him the entire 2010 season.

Colorado scored three runs in the ninth.

Chad Tracy, the Colorado manager's son, was thrown out at the plate by Donald Lutz to end the game.

Notes: Former Reds star Barry Larkin, who will be inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame, threw out the first pitch. ... Nick Masset, sidelined by tightness in his right elbow, expects to pitch in a game for the Reds on Sunday. ... Carlos Gonzalez had a single for Colorado, but hit the ball hard three times and was robbed by a leaping catch by Donald Lutz. "The scoreboard didn't indicate it, but we hit the ball hard and had some good at-bats," Tracy said. ... Former Oakland pitcher Guillermo Moscoso pitched three strong innings for the Rockies, allowing one hit in three scoreless innings.