Diaz (2 HRs) backs Wacha as Cardinals shred Reds
ST. LOUIS -- Aledmys Diaz supplied the power and Michael Wacha supplied the pitching.
Diaz belted a pair of homers to complement Wacha's six solid innings Saturday as the St. Louis Cardinals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 10-4 rout of the Cincinnati Reds at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Diaz lined a solo shot in the first off losing pitcher Bronson Arroyo (0-1) and then touched Arroyo for a three-run blast in the fourth to give St. Louis (2-3) a 6-1 lead.
Meanwhile, Wacha (1-0) gave up just three hits and a run in his first start of the year, walking one and fanning six as he improved to 7-1 in his career against Cincinnati (3-2). Wacha, who was 1-for-39 at the plate last year, even contributed offensively with a two-out RBI single in the fourth.
After Dexter Fowler walked, Diaz pounced on a 3-2 offering from Arroyo, ripping it just inside the foul pole in left for the first multi-homer game of his career.
Arroyo, making his first big league start since June 15, 2014, was tagged for six runs on six hits over four innings, walking three and striking out three.
Reds reliever Robert Stephenson experienced frightful difficulties finding the strike zone, walking six over 1 2/3 innings. He got through the fifth scoreless despite walking three and committing a balk, but the Cardinals got to him for three runs in the sixth as Jose Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk and Jedd Gyorko stroked a two-run single.
Four Cincinnati pitchers combined to issue 12 walks, the most drawn by St. Louis in six years. The margin could have been worse, but the Cardinals stranded 12 men and converted only four of the free passes into runs.
Eugenio Suarez doubled home a run for the Reds in the fourth while Scott Schebler belted a two-run homer in the eighth, his second in as many games. Suarez tacked on a two-out solo shot in the ninth to finish the scoring. NOTES: To activate RHP Bronson Arroyo so that he could start on Saturday, Cincinnati optioned RHP Barrett Astin to Triple-A Louisville. Astin logged one-third of an inning on Opening Day. ... St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal (right lat strain) threw live batting practice before Saturday's game and could be activated from the 10-day DL in time for the team's upcoming road trip to Washington and the New York Yankees. ... Reds C Devin Mesoraco (right hip) was scheduled to catch Saturday night in the second game of his rehab assignment for Double-A Pensacola. Mesoraco was 1-for-3 Thursday night.