Mat Latos rebuffs humour about being sick with the flu – NLDS Update
Cincinnati Reds' starter Mat Latos on Wednesday, October 10, rebuffed the rumours about being sick with the flu. The rumours were actually circulating on Twitter which the starter rejected, saying he was all ready to pitch in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
"I never had the flu," he said. "Whoever tweeted that is an idiot."
With the starter Johnny Cueto out of the postseason games due to the strain in his right oblique, Latos’ falling sick could prove to be utterly costly for the Reds. Cincinnati now have a 2-2 tie with the San Francisco Giants, awaiting the decisive Game 5 scheduled for Thursday.
Dusty Baker was asked about the credibility of the news, for many rumours, about Latos’ falling sick. "He's OK. Everybody said he was sick, but it's a matter of him having allergies, just like I have and a lot of people in the Ohio Valley have here," manager Dusty Baker said. "Mat is Mat, you know what I mean? He's OK."
Mat Latos proved instrumental in the team’s win in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Giants after he was brought in as the emergency relief pitcher due to the back spasms that Johnny Cueto had. Later it was subsequently diagnosed as a strain in the right oblique.
Coming in, Latos pitched four effective innings, allowing only a run to help the Reds win 5-2. Backed by the equally solid offence, Latos has the opportunity to once again prove his credential as one of the most reliable starters for the Reds out there.
In Thursday’s Game 5, Latos will be faced by Matt Cain, the Giants' starter who had appeared in Game 1 as well. Rivalry, undeniably, will be at its peak in this decisive encounter which the Reds hope will go to the team’s favour, helping them to make it to the National League Championship Series.
The consistency that the Reds exhibited in the regular season is what they want to show here. Resilience is what counts at a time when the crucial postseason series stands tied.
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