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 "We wouldn't have had a chance to win this thing without (Peralta's
homer)," said Carpenter. "That was huge."
After Peralta tied the score with a two-run homer in the eighth,
Carpenter's two-run shot off Kevin Gregg in the 11th lifted the St.
Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the
finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
"Anytime you can win a game in extra innings it's good for the
club," said Carpenter. "It's nice to battle through a back-and-forth
game like that and come out with a series win."
Gregg (0-1) took the loss. Carlos Villanueva (1-0) overcame three
walks to pitch two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to earn
the victory.
Center Fielder Billy Hamilton and right fielder Jay Bruce homered
for Cincinnati (4-2) which has lost two straight.
"It was a game that was there to win and we didn't get it done,"
said Reds manager Bryan Price. "You don't win championships when you
let games like this get away."
Almost forgotten amid the four-hour, three-minute game was the major
league debut of Reds right hander Raisel Iglesias, a 25-year-old
Cuban who allowed three runs in five innings.
Right hander Carlos Martinez allowed two runs and four hits in six
innings for St. Louis, along with a career-high eight strikeouts.
"I allowed two home runs, but I continued to compete," said
Martinez, via an interpreter. "I worked a lot with my changeup. Felt
much better about it."
In the second inning, Bruce put Cincinnati ahead 1-0 with a 411-foot
solo home run to center. His second homer this season came on a 3-1
pitch from Martinez.
Iglesias retired the first seven batters he faced before a soft
single by second baseman Kolten Wong.
Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny said he had a limited scouting
report on Iglesias coming into Sunday's game.
"We saw some different stuff from him (Sunday) than what we saw on
video," Matheny said. "He was dropping down a little more. We had to
get our eyes on him. Guys started to figure him out, find his
release point. Our odds improved."
Second time through the order, the Cardinals got better swings
against Iglesias.
After working out of a second-and-third jam in the fourth, Iglesias
wasn't so fortunate in the fifth.
A two-run single Carpenter and an RBI double by right fielder Jason
Heyward put St. Louis ahead 3-1. Carpenter went 2-for-5 with a homer
and four RBI on Sunday.
Hamilton launched a 3-1 pitch from Martinez for his first home run
of the season, cutting the Reds' deficit to 3-2 in the fifth.
Catcher Brayan Pena sacrificed his body to spark a Reds rally in the
seventh.
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Pena slid awkwardly while sliding into first base to beat out an
infield hit to begin the inning and left the game with an injured
shoulder.
With two outs, third baseman Todd Frazier's clutch two-run single
put Cincinnati ahead.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips followed with an RBI hit to make the
score 5-3.
Cincinnati's lead lasted two batters.
Peralta's two-run home run, following a single by Matt Holliday, off
Jumbo Diaz, tied the score 5-5 in the eighth.
"We're right around the corner from (Reds closer Aroldis Chapman)
coming in the ninth," said Matheny. "We needed to get back in the
game there."
By taking two of three in this weekend's series, St. Louis improved
to 13-2 in the past 15 series against Cincinnati.
"Since I've been here (2010) the Cardinals have been a team that has
beaten us," Price said. "At the end of the World Series no one cares
how many times you beat a certain team but to reverse that, yes,
it's important to me."
NOTES: Reds manager Bryan Price was ejected for arguing a
hit-by-pitch in the eighth. ... Reds C Brayan Pena left the game in
the seventh inning after injuring his right shoulder while sliding
into first to beat out an infield hit. ... Cardinals 1B Matt Adams,
who snapped an 0-for-10 skid with a solo home run on Saturday, was
out of the lineup Sunday. Mark Reynolds started at first base. ...
Cardinals C Tony Cruz, who was placed on paternity leave Friday, is
expected to rejoin the club for Monday's home opener. ... A foul
ball off the bat of Reds LF Marlon Byrd struck a fan in the head
during Saturday's game. Byrd communicated with the fan via Twitter
and said he's doing fine. "You're expecting the fans to be safe,"
Byrd said. "It's scary. He had a nice little cut above his eye. I
was glad he was OK."
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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