DeJong's homer lifts Cardinals over Reds

[June 07, 2019]  Paul DeJong hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 3-1 win against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the finale of their rain-shortened two-game series on Thursday afternoon.

St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson went 6 1/3 innings, matching the longest outing of his major league career. He allowed one run and five hits, striking out three and walking four.

John Gant (5-0) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Jordan Hicks pitched the ninth for his 12th save. Marcell Ozuna had two hits for St. Louis.

Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani delivered his best outing in just over a month, allowing one run and six hits in five innings. DeSclafani, who came in 6-2 in his career against the Cardinals, struck out seven and walked one.

After left-hander Amir Garrett relieved DeSclafani and worked a scoreless sixth, Michael Lorenzen (0-1) came on for the seventh and gave up a leadoff single to Yairo Munoz. One out later, DeJong lifted a home run over the left field fence for a 3-1 lead.

St. Louis had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning after Harrison Bader led off with a single and went first to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hudson. Matt Carpenter, who came in 11-for-24 with three home runs in his career off DeSclafani, singled to right to bring home Bader.

After stranding two runners in the first and another in scoring position in the third, the Reds loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and tied the score at 1-1 on a sacrifice fly by Tucker Barnhart.

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong came in 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts in his career off DeSclafani. He struck out with a runner on third and one out in the second, and struck out again with runners on first and third and no outs in the fourth.

Andrew Miller relieved Hudson with runners on first and second and one out in the seventh and struck out Joey Votto looking. Gant then got Eugenio Suarez to pop out to shortstop on the first pitch to end the inning.

--Field Level Media

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