Reds earn split after De La Cruz’s first walk-off hit
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CINCINNATI (AP) -- Elly De La Cruz delivered his first career walk-off hit in the 10th inning after Dane Myers hit a tying pinch-hit homer in the ninth, and the Cincinnati Reds rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Monday night to split a doubleheader.
Down to their final out in the ninth, the Reds went to the bench for Myers, who had homered in the opener. Myers delivered again, driving his fifth home run of the season into the left-center seats to tie the game at 5.
De La Cruz won the game an inning later, grounding a single into left field that was deflected off third baseman Blaze Jordan’s glove, allowing automatic runner Tyler Stephenson to score.
Emilio Pagán (5-1) pitched a hitless 10th inning while starter Rhett Lowder matched a career high with 6 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out five, helping the Reds snap a three-game skid.
St. Louis, which won the opener 2-1, led 4-1 before Cincinnati rallied in the sixth.
Michael Toglia doubled home JJ Bleday for his first RBI with the Reds before rookie Héctor Rodríguez singled to center to score Eugenio Suárez and Toglia, tying the game at 4. The hit gave Rodríguez, Cincinnati’s No. 4 prospect, his first two major league RBIs.
Cincinnati opened the scoring in the first on Suárez’s sacrifice fly.
Iván Herrera tied the game with his 14th homer in the fourth, and Masyn Winn’s RBI single gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Nathan Church and Jordan added RBI singles in the sixth to extend the Cardinals’ advantage to 4-1.
Justin Bruihl (0-1) gave up the winning run.
CARDINALS 2, REDS 1
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Alec Burleson delivered a two-run double early and four St. Louis relievers turned in perfect innings late, helping the Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Monday.
The Cardinals won for the 10th time in 14 games as they try to chase an NL wild-card playoff spot.
Burleson put them ahead for good in the first inning with a double down the right-field line that scored Joshua Báez and Iván Herrera. Báez, who became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues on Saturday, was hitless for the second consecutive day since his record-setting debut.
Left-hander Quinn Mathews, making his second career start, allowed one run in four innings -- a homer in the fourth by Dane Myers, who had two of the Reds’ three hits. Matthews gave way to a stout bullpen that allowed just one hit over the final five frames. He allowed two hits and three walks and struck out seven.
Luis Gastelum (3-2), Gordon Graceffo and George Soriano pitched three-up, three-down innings. Ryne Stanek followed with a scoreless eighth and All-Star closer Riley O’Brien struck out the side in the ninth for his NL-leading 31st save.
Kent Emanuel (0-1) gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. Cincinnati selected the contract of the 34-year-old left-hander from Triple-A Louisville to make the start.