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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The bottom of the Cincinnati batting order is putting the Reds on top. Eighth-place hitter Zack Cozart sent a three-run homer off the left-field foul pole and Kristopher Negron added a two-run shot, lifting the Reds over the Cleveland Indians 8-3 Wednesday night. Cozart, now batting .225, drove in four runs with two hits. On Tuesday night, light-hitting Ramon Santiago launched a three-run homer in a 9-2 victory over Cleveland. "We have to pick up some slack," Cozart said. "We cant depend on the big guys every night." Getting off to a lead is a difference maker," Reds manager Bryan Price said. Mat Latos pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and chipped in with a hit. Latos (4-3), making his 10th start since opening the season on the disabled list and being activated on June 14, allowed just one runner past second base before Yan Gomes led off Clevelands three-run eighth with his 16th homer. Ryan Raburn chased Latos with a pinch-hit, two-run double. Latos gave up six hits and three runs with two walks and five strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings. Cozart, who hadnt homered since June 1 at Arizona, connected off Danny Salazar (4-5) with two outs in the second. Cozarts third homer of the season was the first allowed by Salazar in five starts since May 15 at Toronto. "It felt good," Cozart said. "It is not only getting hits but extra-base hits. Our pitchers have been pitching so well. We dont want them to go home empty." Negron made it 5-0 with a two-out drive in the fourth. The homer was his third of the season, all since being called up from Triple-A Louisville on July 10. "These guys want badly to succeed. Its good to see their hard work paying off," Price said. Cozart was excited for Negron, too. "Every time he gets a chance to play, he takes advantage of his playing time," said Cozart of Negron, who was taken off the 40-man roster after he had four at-bats in 2012, his only big league experience until now. Salazar lasted four innings while seeing his personal winning streak snapped at a career-high three. He allowed five hits and five runs with five strikeouts. "Overall, he was better than his line score," manager Terry Francona said. "He made two costly mistakes to the bottom of the order." "I didnt throw too many pitches today," Salazar said. "I left a couple of balls a little high. I was trying to throw a slider down-and-away (to Cozart). I just missed my spot." The Reds broke open the game with a three-run seventh that started with Negrons double for his first career three-hit game. Cozart hit an RBI single, Latos followed with a single and Todd Frazier added a two-run double. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: Center fielder Michael Bourn went 0 for 3 with one strikeout in five innings for Double-A Akron in the first game of his rehab assignment on Tuesday. He has been out since July 6 with a left hamstring strain. Reds: Right-handed reliever Logan Ondrusek threw his first long toss and bullpen session since he went on the disabled list on July 22 because of a strained right shoulder. He will throw another bullpen on Friday or Saturday and be reassessed, Price said. UP NEXT Indians: Left-hander T.J. House will become the second straight Cleveland pitcher to face Cincinnati for the first time in his career. The Indians have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. Reds: Right-hander Homer Bailey will try to even his career record against the Indians at 3-3 in eight starts in Thursdays series finale. The Reds have won seven straight over Cleveland in Cincinnati since a 3-1 loss on July 2, 2011. STAR TURN The Reds introduced the 2015 All-Star Game logo to fans and media. A large version is displayed at the top or the right-field bleachers near the Ohio River. ... The team honoured its four All-Star players -- Alfredo Simon, Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and Frazier. They were presented with commemorative plaques in a pregame ceremony. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Negron hit his third home run in 15 games since his recall on July 10. He hit three home runs in 75 games at Triple-A Louisville. Cheap Devils Jerseys . Paire broke Giraldo twice and lost his serve once in both sets to wrap up the win in 1 hour, 10 minutes. He will next face Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain, who advanced when Jurgen Zopp of Estonia retired with an injury at 5-5 in the first set. Cheap Devils Jerseys China . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/ . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. Cheap New Jersey Devils Jerseys . Mike Vecchione tied it at 2 with 4:01 left in the first, Saskatoon native Eli Lichtenwald gave the Dutchman the lead 57 seconds later, and Daniel Ciampini capped the spree with 2:57 to go. Cheap Adidas Devils Jerseys . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. MIAMI -- Each of the last two Miami championship runs has been highlighted by moments where a sharpshooter enters a game and immediately provides a surprise spark. James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs. James scored 27 points, Wade added 23 and the Heat rode two big runs -- one late in the first half, the other down the stretch -- to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-88 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Miami trailed for much of the first half, but rallied and has now topped Charlotte 17 straight times. "We were flat to start," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I think our guys were just anxious." Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday. Al Jefferson will be getting plenty of treatment until then. Kemba Walker scored 20 points for the Bobcats, who started fast behind Jefferson -- who was diagnosed with a strained left plantar fascia after a misstep in the first quarter, and got a pair of injections just to continue playing. "We did some really good things today," Walker said. "We just have to keep executing throughout the game. We cant get rattled." Jefferson still finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds -- yet in what cant be a real exciting sign for Charlotte, he left the arena in a walking boot. "Just got to suck it up, man," said Jefferson, who confessed that hes no fan of needles but insisted he doesnt plan on sitting out. Gary Neal scored 17 and Josh McRoberts added 15 for Charlotte, which shot only 12 free throws compared to 26 by Miami, and allowed the Heat to turn their 15 turnovers into 20 points. "If were going to have 15 turnovers, were not going to win," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. Miami sealed it with an 18-4 run in the fourth, all but three of those points coming with James getting a rest. Luke Ridnour made a high-arcing baseline jumper over Ray Allen with 10:29 left to get Charlotte within 74-69. Thats when James got a breather. He returned to breathing room. Chris Andersen had a tip-in for a 12-point lead, Wade -- who shot 10 for 16 -- made a 33-pointer as the shot clock was winding down with 6:50 left to make it 85-70, and another score by Andersen pushed the margin to 17.dddddddddddd With that, Game 1 was secure. "That group that was in once I took that break at the 10-minute mark in the fourth quarter, they just bumped the lead," James said. "Obviously, to have three Hall of Famers in the game when Im out of the game, CB, D-Wade and Ray ... that was big-time." So was Jones. He didnt play in the first half of any playoff game last season and was out of the rotation much of this year. But when he checked in with 4:19 left in the half Sunday, Miami led 35-34. "Hell of a spark," Wade said. Before long, it was 47-36, Jones scoring four of those late as Miami was wrapping up a 19-2 run. He added five more in the third, and his 3-pointer with 10:08 left kickstarted what became the game-deciding spurt down the stretch. "When youre dressed, youre expected to perform," Jones said. Two years ago, it was Mike Miller giving a lift to the Heat in that off-the-bench role. Last year, it was Miller and Shane Battier sharing those honours. Miller is in Memphis now, Battier is out of the rotation, and that means a door may be opening for Jones. "Hes going to be a very, very key ingredient to our success," James said. Charlotte had four players making their first playoff starts. It was also the first national-television appearance this season for the Bobcats, who seemed anything but overwhelmed by the moment. Walker made a 3-pointer to beat the first-half buzzer, drawing Charlotte within 49-42. That started an 11-0 run by the Bobcats, who scored the first eight of the third quarter to reclaim a one-point lead. And the third stayed close, neither team leading by more than three for the majority of the third. But the Heat closed strong behind Jones and James, who made a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left for a 72-65 Miami lead entering the fourth. NOTES: With his final point, James passed Larry Bird for No. 8 on the leagues all-time playoff scoring list. ... Miami is 61-8 over the last three seasons when making at least 10 3-pointers. ... Charlotte was returning home after the game, taking advantage of the long break before Game 2. ' ' '