Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Drew Stubbs belted a two-run homer, Mat Latos overcame a sluggish start to pitch six strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series at PNC Park.
Stubbs finished 3-for-4 and scored three runs for the Reds, who have won five of their last seven games.
Latos (2-2) limited the Pirates to two singles and struck out a career-high 11 batters.
Three relievers combined to complete the three-hit shutout.
Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (1-3) was tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six frames.
The Pirates were trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since April 17-18.
Cincinnati pushed across a run in the first inning.
Stubbs drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on Morton's errant pickoff attempt before scoring on a single by Joey Votto.
Latos hit the first batter he faced -- Jose Tabata -- and issued consecutive one-out walks to Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez.
The first-year Red escaped the jam by getting Casey McGehee on a liner to third and retiring Nate McLouth on a called third strike.
Todd Frazier doubled the Reds' lead in the second with his first home run of the season, a two-out drive to left field, and Stubbs made it 4-0 in the third when he followed a leadoff walk by Zack Cozart with a home run to center field.
Brandon Phillips plated Stubbs with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.




