Cards waste opportunities vs. Reds
ST. LOUIS -- In a game they couldn't afford to lose, the St. Louis Cardinals wasted most of the chances they had and have used up just about all their slender margin for error.
Anthony DeSclafani and two relievers combined to check St. Louis on six hits Wednesday night as the Cincinnati Reds eked out a 2-1 victory at chilly Busch Stadium.
DeSclafani (9-5) gave up six hits and a run over six innings, walking two and fanning three in his last start of the year. Michael Lorenzen worked a clean seventh and Raisel Iglesias pitched the final two innings for his fifth save as Cincinnati improved to 67-91.
Mike Leake (9-12) took the loss after going five innings, permitting up five hits and two runs. He walked none and fanned six.
The result dropped the Cardinals to 82-76, 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the National League's first wild card spot. They fell 1 1/2 games back of San Francisco for wild card number two, pending the outcome of the Giants' game with Colorado.
St. Louis stranded runners at second and third in the sixth and eighth innings when a hit of any kind would have at least tied the game or put it ahead.
In the ninth, pinch-hitter Kolten Wong led off with a triple off the right field wall. But Aledmys Diaz grounded out to third, Greg Garcia flew out to shallow left and pinch-hitter Jedd Gyorko bounced out to third to end it.
After the teams combined for 34 runs in the series' first two games, they played a much more austere game in this one. Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani and St. Louis' Mike Leake played starring roles in the first five innings.
Leake kept his former team off the board until Adam Duvall muscled a two-run single into short left field with two outs in the third. The hit scored Jose Peraza and Hernan Iribarren, who each slapped one-out singles.
The Cardinals got on the board in the fifth as a result of pinch hitter Matt Adams' double-play grounder that scored Aledmys Diaz, who led off with a walk and reached third on Greg Garcia's single to right.
NOTES: Cincinnati acquired OF Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from San Diego and added him to the roster. The Reds also transferred SS Zack Cozart (knee) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. ... St. Louis 2B Kolten Wong (shoulder) wasn't in the lineup for the fifth straight game after being injured Friday when he stumbled and fell in left field at Wrigley Field. ... Cincinnati 2B Brandon Phillips (left hand) and CF Scott Schebler (hamstring) didn't start Wednesday night. Schebler was in the original lineup but was scratched and replaced by Hernan Iribarren.