Cincinnati 6, St. Louis 3

Reds 6, Cardinals 3: Brandon Phillips, Ryan Ludwick and Drew Stubbs homered in a rare offensive outburst as the visiting Reds avoided a sweep.

Cincinnati had scored one run or fewer in four of its previous five games.

Phillips snapped a 4-for-26 slump against Adam Wainwright (0-3) by crushing a fourth-inning homer. Following Jay Bruce's single, Ludwick muscled one barely over the wall in left to make it 3-0. Both long balls came on 84-mph cutters. Phillips added an RBI single in the fifth.

After Matt Holliday hit a towering sixth-inning homer into the Reds’ bullpen to cut the deficit to 4-3, Stubbs’ solo shot extended the lead an inning later.

Wainwright lasted five innings as he continues to struggle in his return from Tommy John surgery. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo (1-0) allowed just five hits over eight innings, fanning five and walking none. Sean Marshall earned his second save.

Cards center fielder Jon Jay left with a sprained shoulder after crashing into the wall chasing Stubbs’ homer.

Game Notebook: Phillips’ fourth-inning solo shot was his first RBI this season. … St. Louis played without first baseman Lance Berkman, who aggravated his left calf injury on Wednesday. ... Arroyo's win was the first by a Reds starter since Opening Day.

• St. Louis will play their next game on the road against Pittsburgh. The Cardinals have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .750 after a loss.
• Cincinnati will play their next game on the road against Chi. Cubs. The Reds have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .500 after a loss.