Wong's walk-off single lifts Cardinals past Reds

[August 21, 2020]  Kolten Wong launched a walk-off single off the right wall to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds Thursday night.

The Cardinals erased a 4-2 ninth-inning deficit with their three-run rally off Reds relievers Raisel Iglesias (1-2) and Nate Jones.

Reliever Seth Elledge (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Cardinals and earned his first major league victory. With help from a runner caught stealing, he survived allowing a double and three walks in the inning.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright gave up four runs, two of them unearned, in seven innings. He retired 15 consecutive hitters to finish off his outing.

Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray held the Cardinals to two runs on four hits during his six-inning start.

The Reds took an immediate 2-0 lead thanks to some sloppy Cardinals fielding. Joey Votto led off the game by reaching on Paul Goldschmidt's throwing error, then he moved up on Jesse Winker's one-out single.

Eugenio Suarez hit a potential double-play grounder at third baseman Brad Miller, who muffed the ball, then threw wildly toward first base. Votto scored on the play and Winker took third.

From there, Winker scored on Mike Moustakas' sacrifice fly for the second unearned run of the first inning.

Freddy Galvis launched a solo homer in the second inning to push the Reds' lead to 3-0.

The Cardinals cut that lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning. Matt Carpenter drew a walk leading off, then Miller lined a single into left-center field and Dexter Fowler drew a one-out walk to load the bases.

Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

Yadier Molina, in his first game back from the team's extensive COVID-19 infected list, lined a two-run single into right field.

But the Reds got one run back in the third inning. Suarez reached on an infield single and scored on Moustakas' double through the right-center field alley.

The Reds loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning against Elledge, but they failed to tack on runs.

Iglesias hit Miller leading off the bottom of the ninth, then he walked Tyler O'Neill. Fowler ripped a single into right field to load the bases.

Molina hit a run-scoring infield single off Iglesias' glove, then Iglesias balked home the tying run. After Dylan Carlson struck out, Jones entered the game. The Reds deployed five infielders and pulled them in to the edge of the grass, but Wong foiled the strategy with his fly ball.

--Field Level Media

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