DeJong grand slam carries Cardinals past Reds

[September 01, 2020]  Paul DeJong clubbed a fourth-inning grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals opened their three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds with a 7-5 victory on Monday night.

With St. Louis ahead 3-1 in the fourth, DeJong rocked a 3-2 pitch from Anthony DeSclafani into the center-field batter's eye. Paul Goldschmidt recorded three hits while DeJong, Kolten Wong and Tommy Edman each had two hits for the Cardinals, who have won two straight following a four-game skid.

DeSclafani (1-2), in his first outing since returning from the birth of his first son, allowed seven runs, seven hits and walked four in just 3 2/3 innings.

It was a second straight loss for the Reds, who got a three-run homer from Eugenio Suarez in the ninth to make things interesting. Suarez drove in four runs.

Dakota Hudson (1-2), who retired 12 of 13 batters during one stretch, yielded two runs (one earned) and four hits while striking out seven over seven innings.

St. Louis wasted no time getting on the board with back-to-back doubles by Edman and Goldschmidt in the first inning. Cincinnati tied in the bottom of the frame via Suarez's two-out single.

The Cardinals went back on top in the second on Wong's two-out RBI single. St. Louis made it 3-1 on Yadier Molina's sacrifice fly to left field in the third. A Wong single and two walks from DeSclafani in the fourth set the stage for DeJong to break the game open with his second home run of 2020.

Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson (43) throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati got another run in the sixth when Tucker Barnhart doubled and later scored on Nick Castellanos' groundout.

The Reds, five games under .500 at 15-20, made two separate trades prior to Monday's deadline. They picked up closer Archie Bradley from Arizona, in exchange for utility man Josh VanMeter and a prospect. Cincinnati also got outfielder Brian Goodwin from the Los Angeles Angels.

Sitting .500 at 13-13 and second in the NL Central, St. Louis did not make any moves.

--Field Level Media

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