The Sports Xchange
Jun 7, 2017
CINCINNATI -- Patrick Kivlehan tied the score with a pinch-hit, three-run homer, and Joey Votto's go-ahead, two-run shot capped a five-run seventh inning, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.
Scott Schebler also homered for Cincinnati (28-30), which has won the first three games of the series to ensure a second consecutive series victory over St. Louis for the first time since 2011.
Raisel Iglesias notched his 11th save. Wandy Peralta (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory.
Matt Carpenter homered for the Cardinals (26-31), who have lost six straight for the first time since 2013. It was the 14th time this season the Cardinals have led by two or more runs and lost.
Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett, coming off his historic four-homer night on Tuesday, went 1-for-4. He grounded hard into a 4-6-3 double play in the second inning to snap his home run streak at four at-bats.
There would be plenty of other heroes for the Reds on Wednesday night, though Cincinnati's starting pitcher wasn't one of them.
Bronson Arroyo's recent struggles against the Cardinals continued when he allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. In his past 10 starts vs. St. Louis, Arroyo is 0-6 with a 6.34 ERA.
But the offense picked him up in the seventh.
Cincinnati trailed 4-1 before Schebler and Gennett singled to begin the inning. With one out, Kivlehan launched his first career pinch-hit home run off Brett Cecil, a three-run shot to tie the score.
After Zack Cozart's two-out double, Trevor Rosenthal entered the game and Votto hit a two-run blast on his first pitch to put Cincinnati ahead.
Cecil (0-2) was charged with four runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn allowed a run and three hits through five innings but exited after only 78 pitches, leaving things up to the bullpen.
With two outs in the second inning, Carpenter crushed an 0-1 pitch from Arroyo as estimated 420 feet to center for his 10th home run, putting the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Later in the inning, Tommy Pham walked and scored on Piscotty's double. Piscotty raced home on Jed Gyorko's single, making the score 3-0.
Lynn didn't allow a hit until Votto's hard grounder caromed off his glove for an infield single with one out in the fourth.
Schebler led off the fifth with his 17th home run of the season on Lynn's first pitch to reduce the Reds' deficit to 3-1.
St. Louis increased its lead to three on Dexter Fowler's pinch-hit RBI double in the sixth. Eric Fryer attempted to score on the play but was thrown out at home on a relay from Gennett.
NOTES: Reds SS Zack Cozart doubled in the seventh inning to extend his on-base streak to 29 games, longest active streak in the major leagues. ... The Reds are closer to getting two injured starting pitchers back. RHP Homer Bailey will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola on Friday. LHP Brandon Finnegan threw 2 1/3 innings in a "camp" game in Goodyear, Ariz., on Tuesday with positive reports. ... On Wednesday, the Cardinals purchased the contract of INF/OF Chad Huffman and optioned RHP John Gant to Triple-A Memphis.