Cincinnati, OH – Jason Kubel returned to hit two home runs, Ian Kennedy struck out seven in eight innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to a 7-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
The Diamondbacks gave Mat Latos his first loss in exactly three months after knocking the righty around for five runs in just 4 2/3 innings.
Kubel, who was dealing with a tight hamstring, hit home runs off Latos (7-3) in his first two at-bats since Saturday, a two-run blast in the first inning and a leadoff shot in the fourth.
"I wasn't concerned about it," Kubel said about his injury.
The Diamondbacks had scored just eight runs in their previous five games prior to Wednesday, but have now won two of the first three games in this four-game set.
Kennedy (7-8) was much better than he needed to be, allowing a run on eight hits without walking a batter to go 3-0 in his three career starts against the Reds.
He has struck out 47 and walked only seven in his last eight games.
Latos hadn't lost since April 18 at St. Louis, going 7-0 in 15 starts. But he allowed six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in this one and has given up seven runs in 9 2/3 innings in his last two outings.
The Reds have lost two of three on the heels of a six-game winning streak and gave up sole possession of first place in the NL Central. The Pirates beat the Rockies earlier Wednesday and have tied them.
Aaron Hill hit a one-out single and Kubel jumped on a 1-0 fastball two pitches later, sending it well over the center field wall.
"It did put a little stress on us," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of the early homer. "Hopefully, well get some offense early and take a little pressure off us."
The Reds used three singles to score a run in the second inning, including Drew Stubbs' RBI hit, but the Diamondbacks steadily padded their lead.
Kubel knocked an 0-1 breaking pitch to right field for his 17th homer leading off the fourth inning and Latos came out in the fifth after giving up runs on Hill's double and a bases-loaded walk to Miguel Montero to make it 5-1.
The bases were only loaded because the Reds opted to intentionally walk Kubel in his third at-bat. Kubel has 39 RBI since June 5, which leads the NL.
"I believe Kubel was back in the line-up," Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall quipped on Twitter.
Back-to-back doubles by Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt off Jose Arredondo in the eighth plated a run, and Goldschmidt later scored on a passed ball for Arizona's 7-1 lead.
Game Notes
At least one home run has been hit in the last 71 games at Great American Ball Park. It's the longest active ballpark homer streak in the majors, the longest home run streak ever at Great American Ball Park and the longest in the majors since an 80-game run at Coors Field in 2002-03...The Diamondbacks are 2-4 on a seven-game road trip...The Reds are 4-2 on a 10-game homestand.
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