Diamondbacks 2, Reds 4

This was not the start we were looking for, as Cincinnati went home-run, double, strikeout, two-run homer to jump on top extremely early against Delgado. He did settle down after that, and only allowed one more run in five innings of work - and that, courtesy of a Cliff Pennington error, on the first ball hit to him at third-base in a major-league game since 2008. The bullpen looked pretty sharp, holding the Reds scoreless over the remaining four innings, on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts: David Hernandez and Will Harris each fanned two in their perfect frames.

However, the Diamondbacks offense was largely unable to solve Mat Latos, who seemed to have them guessing more often than not. The first two reached in the first inning, on a single and error, but a double-play ended that threat, and we struggled to put together good at-bats thereafter. We threatened in the fifth, putting a man on third with one out, but pinch-hitter Eric Hinske struck out, and our shutout avoidance streak looked in trouble until Miguel Montero drove home Gerardo Parra in the eighth. We added another and put the tying run on base in the ninth (Parra being hit on the arm by a 100 mph Chapman fastball, above), but Willie Bloomquist flew out, and the comeback fell short.

Still, the Giants and Padres both lost, so our lead in the west remains undiminished at three, over the Giants and Rockies. It's an off-day tomorrow for the D-backs, before a ten-game road-trip through the NL East. ojcarrasco will be along with the full recap in a bit.