Reds 4, Cardinals 0
ST. LOUIS -- For the second straight night, one swing decided the game. Only this time, it was the Cincinnati Reds thriving in the key moment.
First baseman Joey Votto busted up a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning with a three-run homer, giving starter Mike Leake all the support required to post a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Votto, who has 23 hits in 41 at-bats since the All-Star break, jumped on a 1-0 fastball from St. Louis left-hander Jaime Garcia (3-4) and walloped it 418 feet over the center-field wall for his 19th homer of the year.
It was a 180-degree turn from Monday night's 4-1 St. Louis triumph, powered by a grand slam in the fourth inning from second baseman Kolten Wong.
Leake (9-5) gave up four hits over eight shutout innings, walking one and fanning three. One of many Cincinnati players who could be moved by Friday's trading deadline, Leake threw only 95 pitches in winning his fourth straight start.
Right fielder Jay Bruce added an RBI single in the ninth for the Reds (44-54), who won for just the second time in six games and beat the Cardinals for only the second time in eight games.
Garcia pitched six innings, permitting three runs off four hits with two walks and five strikeouts as St. Louis (64-36) lost for just the 14th time in 51 home dates. Pitching dominated the game's first half as Leake and Garcia took turns working quick innings and carving up hitters.
Making his first start since June 24 due to a groin injury suffered that night in Miami, Garcia gave up only one hit -- a one-out single by Votto in the fourth.
Leake carried a no-hitter through 4 2/3 innings before right fielder Stephen Piscotty lined a clean single to right. Piscotty also reached third in the third after a leadoff walk and two grounders moved him around, but Wong tapped back to Leake to end the threat.
NOTES: St. Louis optioned RHP Sam Tuivailala to Triple-A Memphis to make room for Tuesday night's starter, LHP Jaime Garcia. Tuivailala logged eight straight scoreless appearances for the Cardinals with seven strikeouts in eight innings. ... St. Louis C Yadier Molina (illness) was back in the lineup after leaving Monday night's game in the bottom of the fifth inning for a pinch-hitter, but CF Randal Grichuk (groin) didn't start for the second straight game. ... Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto entered Tuesday night's game with a .526 average since the All-Star break, the best in the major leagues.