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 There was no debating his game-winner seven innings later.
Grichuk's solo home run in the top of the 13th inning lifted the St.
Louis Cardinals to a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
He launched his 13th homer of the season, on a 1-0 pitch from
right-hander Dylan Axelrod (0-1), into the left field seats late on
a long night for both teams.
"You know the ball flies here," Grichuk said. "(Hitting a homer) is
always in the back of your mind, but you have to keep the same
approach."
Third baseman Matt Carpenter hit a game-tying solo homer off J.J.
Hoover in the eighth for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing
streak against the Reds.
"I was trying to throw a fastball up and away, but I pulled it
across the plate middle in," Hoover said. "That's not what I wanted
to do."
Seth Maness (4-1) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory.
He was one of six Cardinals relievers who blanked the Reds over the
final eight innings.
"The bullpen was tremendous," Maness said. "Every guy that came in
was trying to match the last guy. We just passed the ball."
Cincinnati led 3-0 through five innings and appeared poised to
clinch consecutive series victories against St. Louis for the first
time since 2011. The Reds (48-57) will have another chance Thursday
in the finale of the three-game series.
"It was a well-pitched ballgame by both sides," Reds manager Bryan
Price said. "It came down to one swing of the bat. It's a
disappointing loss. We were able to string things together, but we
couldn't come up with that knockout blow. We had a 3-0 lead. We just
couldn't put it away."
The Cardinals (68-39) didn't threaten against Reds starter David
Holmberg until the sixth, when the first two batters reached via a
walk and a hit batsman.
Grichuk started the rally with a double off the top of the
left-center-field wall to drive home a run, cutting the Reds' lead
to 3-1.
Following a four-minute, one-second review by crew chief Ted
Barrett, it was confirmed to be a double after Cardinals manager
Mike Matheny argued that the ball might have cleared the yellow
padding.
After allowing only two hits and two runs in five-plus innings,
Holmberg was done for the night.
Left-hander Manny Parra entered and allowed a two-out RBI single by
shortstop Jhonny Peralta to make the score 3-2, but he induced an
inning-ending double play grounder from catcher Yadier Molina.
For the second straight night, Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton
preserved a one-run lead with a diving catch, this time of second
baseman Kolten Wong's sinking liner to end the seventh.
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However, Carpenter's solo homer on a 2-2 pitch from Hoover in the
eighth tied the score 3-3.
The game-tying blast took Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez off
hook after he allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings.
"He didn't have his fastball command today," Matheny said. "He
survived with his slider. The ball was coming out of his hand, but
his timing was off."
Martinez pitched out of jams in the first two innings but wasn't as
fortunate in the third.
With the bases loaded and two outs, catcher Brayan Pena laced a
double down the left field line, driving in two runs to make the
score 2-0. It was Pena's second consecutive double, giving him 11
for the season.
Reds third baseman Todd Frazier drove in a run with a bases-loaded
grounder in the fourth, making the score 3-0.
For the second consecutive game, Martinez had a rough time. He
allowed five earned runs and 10 hits in five innings last week
against the Colorado Rockies.
"That's part of being a young pitcher," Matheny said. "He'll be
fine."
NOTES: St. Louis improved to 7-8 in extra-inning games this season.
... Reds LHP Sean Marshall threw a 22-pitch bullpen session composed
mostly of fastballs. It was his first appearance on the mound since
June 10, 2014, after he tore his left shoulder labrum. He will
travel with the team through his rehab. ... Cardinals CF Randal
Grichuk, who had two hits for the second game in a row, was moved up
to second in the batting order. He came in batting .385 in his past
seven games. ... Reds LHP Aroldis Chapman made his 24th consecutive
scoreless appearance against the Cardinals, striking out three in
the ninth inning. St. Louis hasn't scored against Chapman since
2011.
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reserved.]
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