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Molina, Weaver lead Cardinals past slumping Reds

[April 14, 2018] Yadier Molina homered and drove in three runs Friday night while Luke Weaver took a shutout into the seventh inning as the St. Louis Cardinals stopped the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

It was the second straight win for St. Louis (7-7), which improved to 5-3 on the road. Cincinnati fell to an MLB-worst 2-11 with its sixth straight loss.

Weaver (2-0) didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, when Devin Mesoraco reached on an infield single. In his next at-bat, Mesoraco ended Weaver's night with a two-run homer to left-center, his first of the year.

But Weaver still turned in his third straight strong start. Over six-plus innings, the right-hander permitted four hits and two runs with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Cincinnati pulled within two runs in the eighth on Joey Votto's RBI single, but he was picked off first for the inning's third out. Bud Norris pitched the ninth to garner his second save, fanning pinch hitter Tucker Barnhart with the tying runs aboard to end it.

Tyler Mahle (1-2) matched Weaver pitch for pitch over the first five innings, with the exception of Molina's second inning solo shot to right-center, his fifth of the season and second in as many nights.

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Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

But Mahle couldn't hold it together in the sixth. Dexter Fowler led off with his second homer to right, followed by a Tommy Pham single and a Matt Carpenter double. Marcell Ozuna drove in Pham with an RBI single, and one out later, Molina dumped a two-run single into left-center.

Mahle lasted 5 1/3 innings, yielding nine hits and five runs. He walked none and fanned five.

--Field Level Media

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