Martinez, Cardinals pound Reds, 13-4

[April 13, 2018]  Jose Martinez homered and drove in six runs Thursday night as the St. Louis Cardinals waded through the exhausted bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds to score a 13-4 win at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Marcell Ozuna, Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina also belted solo homers for St. Louis (6-7). The Cardinals also drew a season-high 11 walks, including five in a row during a seven-run seventh inning that reduced the game's remainder into a slog to the final out.

Martinez opened the inning with a liner into the left field seats for his third homer, followed by Molina's 438-foot blast into the upper deck in left-center for his fourth long ball. Cincinnati relievers Zack Weiss and Tanner Rainey then teamed up for five straight free passes, with Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham netting RBIs from their walks.

Matt Carpenter's sacrifice fly made it 10-4, and Martinez capped the outburst with a two-run bloop double down the right field line.

The Reds (2-10) used seven pitchers in Wednesday night's 4-3, 12-inning loss in Philadelphia. They ended this game with utility man Cliff Pennington pitching the ninth to save the staff's remaining arms, and he allowed a run-scoring double by Martinez to finish off his 4-for-5 night.

DeJong snapped a 4-4 tie in the sixth with a 464-foot homer off Austin Brice (0-2). St. Louis also got two hits and two runs from Pham, as well as two hits and three runs from Fowler.

Michael Wacha (2-1) earned his second straight win despite struggling through five innings. He gave up five hits and four runs, three of them earned, while walking three and fanning five. Mike Mayers worked the final three innings for his first MLB save.

Jesse Winker supplied an RBI single in the first for Cincinnati, while Scooter Gennett gave the Reds a 4-3 lead in the third with a two-run single. But that was it for the Reds' attack.

Cincinnati starter Sal Romano was no-decisioned after pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing four runs, three earned, off five hits and four walks. He fanned four.

--Field Level Media

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