The Sports Xchange
Aug 4, 2017
CINCINNATI -- Joey Votto doubled and drove in two runs and Asher Wojciechowski allowed a run and three hits through five innings, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Rookie Jesse Winker and Billy Hamilton each had a pair of hits for Cincinnati (45-64), which has won six of the past seven games against the Cardinals and 12 of 18.
Wojciechowski (2-1) walked one and fanned five in his first outing since being moved into the rotation.
When the teams last met in June, Cincinnati outscored the Cardinals 28-9 while sweeping a four-game series. In the second game of that series, Scooter Gennett became the first Reds player to homer four times in a game.
Cardinals starter Mike Leake (7-10) allowed three earned runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts over his six innings.
A late rally by St. Louis (53-56) fell short.
The Reds nearly doubled Tommy Pham off second base on a long fly ball which would have ended the eighth inning, but replay confirmed he beat Adam Duvall's throw.
Carson Kelly followed with an RBI single to cut the Cardinals' deficit to 3-2. But, Michael Lorenzen struck out Randal Grichuk looking with the bases loaded to end the inning.
With runners on first and third in the ninth, Raisel Iglesias struck out Paul DeJong swinging for his 19th save.
Winker singled and scored from first on Votto's double to put Cincinnati ahead 1-0 in the first inning.
Greg Garcia tripled off the right-field wall, missing a home run by inches, to lead off the third. He scored when Leake legged out an infield hit.
Leake retired 10 straight batters following a rocky first inning, but the Cardinals couldn't muster much offense against Wojciechowski. The right-hander allowed just a run on three hits through five innings. He walked one and fanned five over 78 pitches.
With runners at second and third in the fifth, Hamilton singled to drive home Jose Peraza to put the Reds ahead 2-1, but Tucker Barnhart was thrown out at home by right fielder Stephen Piscotty. The call was confirmed after a two-minute, 37-second review.
Cincinnati got that run back when Votto singled to drive in Hamilton to make the score 3-1.
NOTES: The Cardinals recalled RHP Sam Tuivailala from Memphis and optioned RHP Luke Weaver to the Triple-A team. Tuivailala retired the only batter he faced in the eighth inning Friday. ... Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright is expected to come off the disabled list to start Sunday's game. He's been on the DL since July 23 with a sore back. ... The Reds acquired minor league OF Randy Ventura from the Braves in exchange for international bonus pool space. ... Cardinals C Yadier Molina did not start after being hit by a foul tip and backswing on Thursday. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Friday.