red-letter day

Zack Cozart snapped out of a 1-for-21 slump with a three-hit game on Friday night, helping first-place Cincinnati beat Milwaukee 3-1 and hold onto a half-game lead in the National League Central. “It feels good. Especially for me …,” the rookie shortstop out of Ole Miss told mlb.com after Friday’s game. Cozart hasn’t hit perhaps as well as the Reds had hoped this season — his average is just .246 — but has provided some pop. He homered Friday, giving him 10 for the season. He also has 22 doubles. His runs accounted for total is 68 (20 RBIs, 48 runs) in 88 games, which isn’t bad for a guy who’s not a middle-of-the-order hitter. And no one’s complaining about his defense. It’ll be interesting to see how Cozart responds as the playoff chase heats up. It’s got to be fun to be in the middle of that, right?