Finnegan, Phillips propel Reds in rout of Cardinals
CINCINNATI -- Brandon Finnegan allowed one hit over six innings and Brandon Phillips had a pair of doubles and scored three times as the Cincinnati Reds cruised to a 7-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
It was the fourth shutout of the season for Cincinnati, which won a series with the Cardinals for just the fourth time in the past 12.
St. Louis which collected four hits on Thursday, now trails the first-place Chicago Cubs by 9 1/2 games in the National League Central standings.
Finnegan (7-8) held the Cardinals hitless until Jhonny Peralta's single with one out in the fifth inning. He allowed only two baserunners, with neither advancing past second base. It was the second straight start in which Finnegan pitched six shutout innings.
Finnegan was lifted from the game after six despite only 79 pitches.
Raisel Iglesias allowed just three hits over his two innings to keep the shutout intact. That extended Iglesias' scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings.
Cardinals starter and former Red Mike Leake allowed two hits, including a double by Scott Schebler, to begin the second inning. Ramon Cabrera's single drove home the first two runs of the game.
Cincinnati increased its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Phillips doubled and later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sacrifice fly to right. Phillips finished with three hits in the contest.
Finnegan cruised through the first four innings with only 54 pitches. He retired 13 straight in one stretch.
Things unraveled for Leake in the sixth.
Adam Duvall walked and scored on Phillips' third consecutive hit and second double to make the score 4-0.
Duvall's walk was the first issued by Leake in 35 innings, the longest streak in the major leagues this season.
After Schebler was hit by a pitch, Suarez doubled in the Reds' fifth run and Cabrera's RBI single made the score 6-0.
Leake (8-9) allowed seven runs on eight hits in five-plus innings.
NOTES: Cincinnati has won six consecutive series for the first time since 1999. ... Reds SS Zack Cozart missed his third straight start with a bruised right ring finger but is expected back on Friday. ... Cardinals INF Matt Carpenter made his fourth and likely final rehab start for Double-A Springfield on Wednesday and is expected to be reinstated from the disabled list on Friday when the club begins a three-game series against Atlanta at Busch Stadium. Carpenter has been on the disabled list since July 7 with a right oblique injury. ... Cincinnati announced the signing of OF T.J. Friedl, an undrafted free-agent from the University of Reno.