LDN - Sports

Cardinals hold on for 5-4 win over Reds

[August 04, 2016] CINCINNATI -- There's an old baseball adage which suggests relief pitchers need to have short memories.

But his forgettable performance Tuesday night is one St. Louis Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh is choosing to remember.

"A game I'll never forget," Oh said, via an interpreter. "The result in the end was a loss, and a blown save. There are some games you need to remember."

Oh and the rest of the Cardinals' bullpen rebounded well Wednesday.

Stephen Piscotty homered, Brandon Moss doubled twice and drove in two runs, and the bullpen staved off another Cincinnati Reds rally in a 5-4 victory at Great American Ball Park.

The win helped St. Louis remain nine games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central standings.

The trio of left-handers Zack Duke, Kevin Siegrist and Oh maintained a one-run lead over the final three innings with one hit and four Ks.

"We've got a good bullpen," manager Mike Matheny said. "They're going to have nights like we had last night. It's great when somebody can pick you up. They erased that one (Tuesday)."

Cardinals starter Michael Wacha (7-7) allowed two runs and six hits in five innings.

After blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning Tuesday, St. Louis' banged-up bullpen held the lead for Wacha.

Adam Duvall led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Brandon Phillips' single to make it 5-3.

The Cardinals, who led 4-0 after the first inning, had their lead reduced to one after Ivan De Jesus Jr.'s RBI single.

But Scott Schebler, Tuesday night's hero with a walk-off, three-run homer, struck out against Siegrist to strand the tying run in the eighth.

Rookie left-hander Cody Reed (0-6) took the loss for Cincinnati. Reed allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.

"He's not as acute with his command in the first inning," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's taking time to settle in. By that time, they've scored four runs. It's a big inning, and we're digging ourselves out of a hole. The best part of his night was the next four innings."

Oh, who gave up Schebler's winner the night before, struck out Tyler Holt to strand the tying run at second in the ninth for his eighth save of the season.

St. Louis sent nine batters to the plate in the first and forced Reed to use 36 pitches during a 16-minute inning.

"It seems like I'm giving the same interview," said Reed. "It's a battle for me right now. I hope to get the ball in five days and try again."

Moss doubled home two runs to put the Cardinals ahead 2-0, giving him five straight hits. "What a great at-bat he put together," Matheny said of Moss. "Driving the ball the other way after fighting off tough pitches."

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Reds pinch runner Billy Hamilton (6) slides safely after stealing second base against St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Greg Garcia (35) during the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Cardinals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The lead grew to four on Greg Garcia's two-run single.

Cincinnati fought back against Wacha, who threw 32 pitches in the bottom half.

Joey Votto extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI single to make it 4-1. Another run scored on a groundout and the Cardinals' lead was two.

"We were one hitter away from getting somebody up in the first inning," Matheny said. "Typically makes for a night when you start with that kind of stress. He had a little trouble finding his fastball command, then he rolled pretty well."

St. Louis had two runners thrown out at home, one at second base trying to stretch a double and another caught in a rundown between third and home.

The Cardinals hit two balls over the fence on consecutive pitches in the fifth, but only one of them was a home run as Schebler reached over the right-field wall to rob Jedd Gyorko.

Reds fans were still cheering Schebler's gem when Piscotty blasted his 15th homer of the season to left-center field, making the score 5-2.

The Cardinals' bullpen made certain there was no dramatic Reds' rally on this night.

"We've got talent out there," Matheny said. "Some days it's just easier than others for whatever reason. It's never easy. Some days it's hard to get anything to go your way."

NOTES: The Cardinals placed LHP Tyler Lyons on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee stress reaction. LHP Dean Kiekhefer, who was optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday, was recalled to take the Lyons' place. ... Reds SS Zack Cozart, who was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a bruised right ring finger, was out again. Ivan De Jesus Jr. started in his place. ... Reds RHP Alfredo Simon, who is on the disabled list with right trapezius muscle soreness, threw 20 pitches to batters. The next step could be a minor league rehab assignment.

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