Nick Senzel and Aristides Aquino hit home runs to power the visiting Cincinnati Reds past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Thursday.
The Reds (57-86) snapped a six-game losing streak while the Cardinals (84-60) lost for the fourth time in seven games.
Cincinnati starting pitcher Chase Anderson (1-3) allowed one run on one hit and two walks in five innings. He struck out three.
Ian Gibaut pitched a scoreless inning, Buck Farmer blanked the Cardinals for two innings and Alexis Diaz surrendered a run in the ninth but still earned his seventh save.
Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (11-12) allowed three runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Senzel’s homer put the Reds up 1-0 in the second inning.
Cincinnati’s Austin Romine walked leading off the third inning, TJ Friedl hit a double, and Jonathan India walked to load the bases.
After Kyle Farmer flied out, Jake Fraley hit a sacrifice fly to put the Reds up 2-0. Cincinnati tried to add another run with an aggressive baserunning play, but Friedl was thrown out trying to steal home.
The Cardinals cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. Lars Nootbaar walked with one out, Brendan Donovan was hit by pitch, and Paul Goldschmidt lined a two-out RBI double.
Donovan also tried to score on the play, but the Reds threw him out with a pinpoint relay from left fielder Friedl to shortstop Farmer to catcher Romine.
Aquino’s solo homer in the sixth pushed the Reds’ lead to 3-1.
Cincinnati got a runner to third base in the seventh. Spencer Steer hit a leadoff single, moved to second base on a bunt and took third on a groundout. India walked, but Farmer grounded into a forceout to end the inning.
The Reds threatened again in the eighth. Donovan Solano walked with one out and moved to third on Aquino’s double. Stuart Fairchild pinch-ran for Solano, but Nootbaar threw him out trying to score on Senzel’s liner to right field.
The Cardinals rallied in the ninth. Donovan hit a leadoff single, Tommy Edman walked and Nolan Arenado dropped a one-out single into center field, loading the bases.
Albert Pujols’ sacrifice fly cut the lead to 3-2 before Arenado stole second base, but pinch hitter Corey Dickerson grounded out to end the game.
–Field Level Media
