Cardinals 9, Reds 2
CINCINNATI -- Matt Adams and Tommy Pham each hit two-run homers and Michael Wacha pitched six solid innings as the first-place St. Louis Cardinals avoided a four-game series sweep with a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
St. Louis (89-54) snapped a three-game losing streak, ensuring it would at least maintain a 2 1/2-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central.
Another streak of futility ended in the seventh inning when Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina threw out Billy Hamilton attempting to steal second. The Reds center fielder had been 10-for-10 against Molina in his career.
Pham and Adams were among six Cardinals who collected RBIs in keeping with the team concept that has worked for them all season.
Wacha (16-5) pitched around four walks to allow two runs and three hits in six innings to improve to 4-0 this season against the Reds.
Reds starter Raisel Iglesias escaped first-inning trouble when he got Molina to ground into a 3-6-1 double play. The initial out call at first was overturned by replay.
Third baseman Todd Frazier put Cincinnati ahead 1-0 in the second with a 419-foot solo homer to center on a 1-1 pitch from Wacha.
It was Frazier's 33rd homer this season and the 15th allowed by Wacha.
Wacha's command escaped him in the fourth when he walked two and hit a batter to load the bases with one out. Catcher Tucker Barnhart's sacrifice fly put the Reds up 2-0. St. Louis scored twice in the fifth, once on third baseman Matt Carpenter's RBI single to right that tied the score 2-2.
Iglesias allowed two earned runs and five hits in five innings.
Reds second baseman Ivan De Jesus Jr. made a bid to untie the score in the fifth, but Jason Heyward went over the right field wall to snatch a would-be home run for the final out of the inning.
Heyward also doubled twice and had an RBI.
Pham's second homer of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth off right-hander Sam LeCure, put the Cardinals ahead 4-2. It was Pham's first homer since July 5.
LeCure (0-1) took the loss for Cincinnati.
St. Louis had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh but didn't score before they piled on during a five-run eighth.
Adams iced the victory with his first home run since May 20, a 423-foot, two-run blast off Josh Smith, making the score 9-2.
NOTES: Todd Frazier is the third Reds third baseman to hit 30 or more home runs in a season, joining Tony Perez (1967, 1970) and Deron Johnson (1965). ... Cardinals INF Brandon Moss, mired in an 0-for-23 slump, was given a day off on Sunday. ... St. Louis manager Mike Matheny is hoping to have both OF Matt Holliday and RHP Adam Wainwright back during the upcoming series in Milwaukee. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips was given a day off on Sunday after batting .317 since the All-Star break. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto has reached base in 32 straight games, tying a season high.