It All Comes Down to Game 5

Momentum swings as easy as a ball takes a bad hop. One bad hop. One that Scott Rolen is usually as sure handed in fielding as anyone in baseball. One step. One safe call and a whole series swings the other way.

After taking two games in San Francisco the Reds were up 2-0 and headed home to a sellout crowd ant Great American Ballpark. After overcoming an injury to Johnny Cueto they stole a win from the Giants in Game one, and then the Bats came alive and they beat the brakes off of the Giants in game two. The Giants stole game 3 on the bad hop i described. Then they made the fatal mistake. They didn't have much choice but they started Mike Leake, who wasn't even on the playoff roster, in game 4.

Two pitches. It only took two pitches for the Giants to take over game 4. Angel Pagan took Leake deep in the first inning and even though the Reds recovered and tied the game at one, Leake and the bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding and San Fran busted it wide open to eventually take a 8-3 less and didn't look back. From there the Reds couldn't claw back and now everything rides on game 5.

They have to call once again on the hero in game 1 who begged to be out in after Cueto's injury, Mat Latos. Latos has been lights out as of late and stayed hot in game 1 as he shut down the Giants, who he very openly despises. With the offense of this team sputtering the pressure now falls onto the shoulders of Latos. In my opinion there is no one on the pitching staff that I would rather see pitching a decisive game. The guy has the fire and passion for the game more than any pitcher I've ever watched in Cincinnati. And he knows how to focus that aggression on every hitter he faces. He is a work horse, and the Reds will need every bit of his fire on Thursday afternoon, and I have no doubt that he will deliver.

Game 5 starts at 1:07 today, and the Reds playoff lives hang in the balance. I'm predicting Latos has a stellar outing and the Reds squeak out a win and advance.

Lets hope so.

Go Reds.