Mat Latos wasn't supposed to pitch in San Francisco, but was forced into emergency action. (US Presswire)

Quick Hits: Tigers take down A's in game one

The Cincinnati Reds took the lead in the best-of-five NLDS over the San Francisco Giants with a 5-2 victory on Saturday night. Let's make our quick hits.

Hero: The Reds had the majors best bullpen ERA this season, but 8 2/3 innings of relief in a playoff game? That's pretty impressive work by the Cincinnati bullpen, even if one of those "relievers" was making the first relief appearance of his career. Mat Latos was scheduled to sit in the dugout wearing a sweatshirt on Saturday and watch Reds ace Johnny Cueto take care of business. Instead, Cueto left the game after eight pitches and Latos was sent to the bullpen. Sam LeCure got the first call to pick up Cueto, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless to get the ball to Latos. After four innings of one-run ball by Latos, Sean Marshall, Jonathan Broxton and Aroldis Chapman finished out the game to give Cincinnati a 1-0 series lead.

Goat: Matt Cain had never given up an earned run in his three postseason starts coming into Saturday's game, but Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Jay Bruce added a solo blast in the next inning. He didn't pitch terribly, but he wasn't the ace he has been and exited after five innings.

Turning point: If the Giants thought they were lucky to avoid facing Cueto, their optimism may have been tempered after Sam LeCure got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning and Phillips followed with a two-run homer in the third.

It was over when: Just when conventional wisdom said Chapman would finish out the game easily, he loaded the bases with one out and even after getting Pablo Sandoval to pop up with bases loaded, he had to face Buster Posey with two outs and bases loaded. A wild pitch with Posey at the plate made the game 5-2, but Posey chased a high fastball on a 1-2 count to end the game.

Next: The two squads get back at it in Sunday's final game, starting at 9:30 p.m. ET in San Francisco. Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner (16-11, 3.37) faces Reds veteran Bronson Arroyo (12-10, 3.74).

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.