ST. LOUIS — The scheduled game between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed because of rain.

It will be made up Aug. 31 as part of a day-night doubleheader.

The game was called after an 83-minute delay Wednesday night. Rain started right around when play was supposed to begin and didn’t let up. The forecast called for showers deep into the night.

Anthony DeSclafani (2-3) had been slated to start for the Reds against Dakota Hudson (4-3).

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS — Luis Castillo pitched one-run ball over six innings, Yasiel Puig homered and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Tuesday night following a rain delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes.

The loss snapped the Cardinals’ four-game winning streak after sweeping the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.

Castillo (6-1) gave up two hits, walked four and struck out eight with 111 pitches. He dropped his ERA to 2.38 and hasn’t taken a loss since April 3 — a 1-0 defeat to Milwaukee.

Castillo did not allow a hit after the first inning. He retired his final 12 batters following a walk in the third.

Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.

St. Louis starter Genesis Cabrera (0-2) pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, with eight hits and two walks. It was the second start of Cabrera’s career. He did not record a strikeout.

Puig drove a one-out home run to center in the fifth, snapping a 0-for-13 skid with his 11th shot of the season.

Puig had a little scare in the eighth when he ran into the wall in foul territory chasing a fly hit by Marcell Ozuna. After being checked, he remained in the game.

With two outs in the fifth, the Reds chased Cabrera with a single and an error by third baseman Matt Carpenter. Former starter Michael Wacha entered and gave up a run-scoring single to Jose Peraza for a 4-1 Cincinnati lead.

The Reds scored two runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Peraza doubled home Jose Iglesias and scored on a two-out double by Nick Senzel.

Carpenter hit his 24th leadoff homer in the first.

St. Louis had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh but didn’t score. Carpenter ended the inning when his groundball was deflected by reliever Amir Garrett for a close 1-6-4-3 double play.

DEFENSIVE GEMS

St. Louis second baseman Kolten Wong accounted for all three outs in the first inning. He snagged two line drives, then ran a long way and slid on the wet grass to catch Puig’s fly in foul territory.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Alex Blandino (right knee) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville. He has missed the entire season. Blandino suffered a torn ACL last July. … LHP Alex Wood (lower back) has yet to make his 2019 debut but is expected to throw off the mound soon. No timeline has been set for Wood.

Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes (broken finger) has yet to be cleared to swing a bat. He is expected to make a start in the start in the next five or six days, according to manager Mike Shildt. Reyes, who is at Triple-A Memphis, has thrown just three innings in the majors this season after starting the year in a bullpen role. He then was sent back to the minors. He broke his pinkie finger after punching a dugout wall after a poor outing with Memphis.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (2-3, 4.97) will be making his 12th start of the season. It will be his third this year against St. Louis. In his first start against the Cardinals on April 14 in Mexico, DeSclafani allowed four runs but did not figure in the decison. He earned the win in a 12-1 victory over St. Louis on April 26.

Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (4-3, 3.94) has allowed just eight earned runs in his last four outings, all quality starts. Hudson has given up just one homer dating back to April 27.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – June 3, 2019 – The St. Louis Cardinals selected left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, a junior from the University of Kentucky, with their first round selection (19th player overall) in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.

The 6-2, 220-pound Thompson, who hails from Selma, Ind. (Wapahani High School), was the 5th pitcher selected in this year’s draft and the second lefty to go in the opening round.

“We always enter the draft trying to find someone we feel will have an impact on our Major League team with our first selection,” stated Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “Zack was someone we identified who could do just that. We look forward to having him join the St. Louis Cardinals organization.”

Thompson, 21, was 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA for the Wildcats this season and struck out a whopping 130 batters in his 90.0 innings pitched, using a four-pitch mix of fastball, slider, change-up and curve. He was 16-5 with a 3.20 ERA in three seasons at Kentucky, striking out 268 batters in 196.2 innings.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to make the pick,” said Cardinals’ Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting Randy Flores. Zack Thompson is one of those guys when you watch him live, you come away really impressed with his physicality, you come away impressed with his ability to spin the ball, and you truly come away impressed with his guts and grit on the mound. He’s someone who has improved every year, checks a lot of boxes for us, and we are really happy he was staring at us at (pick) 19.”

Thompson is a Second Team All-SEC selection, Second Team Collegiate Baseball All-American, Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist and Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist.

Thompson was the fifth 19th round selection for the Cardinals in the past decade, joining Shelby Miller (2009), Michael Wacha (2012), lefty Marco Gonzales (2013) and infielder Nolan Gorman (2018).

— Cardinals Press Release —

ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright overcame a career-high seven walks to pitch eight shutout innings, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over Cole Hamels and the Chicago Cubs 2-1 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

The Cardinals got just four hits in their fourth straight win. Chicago was limited to three hits, and lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Wainwright (5-5) didn’t allow a hit until Kris Bryant singled with one out in the sixth. He gave up two hits and struck out eight while throwing 126 pitches.

A three-time All-Star, Wainwright walked three of his first five batters. The Cardinals got double plays to end each of the first two innings, and later turned another double play to finish an inning.

Hamels (4-2) gave up one unearned run on two hits over seven innings. He struck out four and walked two.

The Cubs, who swept a three-game series from the Cardinals at Wrigley Field in early May, put runners at the corners with one out in the ninth against Jordan Hicks. John Gant relieved, retired Addison Russell on an RBI grounder and got David Bote to ground out for his third save in four chances.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead when Jedd Gyorko walked with one out in the fifth, stole second and went to third on an errant throw by catcher Willson Contreras. Kolten Wong, who had two hits, had a sacrifice fly.

Wong, playing second base, made a nice, over-the-shoulder catch of Anthony Rizzo’s looper with two on to end the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter added a two-out, RBI single off Mike Montgomery in the Cardinals eighth.

REYES MAKING PROGRESS

St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes, who suffered a broken finger on April 25, was scheduled to start on Sunday for Triple-A Memphis. Reyes could possibly join the starting rotation as early as next weekend against the Cubs, according to manager Mike Shildt. He coming off a pair of solid rehab performances for Class A Palm Beach.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (3-4, 3.59) will face Los Angeles Angels RHP Trevor Cahill (2-5, 6.92) on Monday afternoon in Chicago. The game is the makeup of a contest that was postponed by snow on April 14. Lester allowed a season-high seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-6 loss to Houston on Tuesday. Lester is 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA over his last three starts.

Cardinals: LHP Genesis Cabrera (0-1, 7.36) will face RHP Luis Castillo (5-1, 2.45) in the first of a three-game set against Cincinnati on Tuesday. Cabrera gave up three earned runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS — Matt Carpenter hit a game-ending single against an unusual defensive alignment in the 10th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Friday night.

The Cardinals won back-to-back games for the first time since April 30-May 1 and avoided the worst winning percentage for May in franchise history by going 9-18 (.333). They went 8-18 in May 1980.

Kolten Wong helped set up Carpenter’s clutch swing with a one-out double off Mike Montgomery (1-1) for the team’s lone extra-base hit. Dillon Maples then came in and walked Harrison Bader and Jedd Gyorko to load the bases.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon brought in Steve Cishek to face Carpenter, and put four players on the right side of the infield. But Carpenter drove in Wong with a fly ball that found the grass in the left field corner.

Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas gave up one run in seven innings. He allowed six hits and walked two while throwing 104 pitches, matching his season high.

Carlos Martinez pitched a perfect eighth for St. Louis, and Jordan Hicks (2-2) worked two scoreless innings. The last pitch Hicks threw in the ninth registered at 104.3 mph, which is the fastest in baseball this season.

Cubs starter Yu Darvish permitted three hits through six innings, but still picked up his sixth straight no-decision. He walked his first two batters, leading to Marcell Ozuna’s sacrifice fly.

Chicago had a chance to break the tie after Jason Heyward and Addison Russell led off the fourth with singles, but Mikolas got Albert Almora Jr. to ground into a double play to end the threat.

STILL STREAKING

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, two shy of his career-high streak in June 2017.

TRAINING ROOM

Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop (left hamstring strain) could be activated as soon as Saturday, but Maddon said the team is still discussing the next move.

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina (strained right thumb tendon) was placed on the 10-day injured list. “It’s just a slight little tear between the thumb and the webbing, his right finger rather,” manager Mike Shildt said.

UP NEXT

Left-hander Jose Quintana (4-4, 3.73 ERA) takes the mound for the Cubs on Saturday night against right-hander Jack Flaherty (4-3, 3.77 ERA). Quintana is looking to bounce back after allowing six runs in a loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Flaherty threw six shutout innings in a no-decision at Atlanta on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

PHILADELPHIA — Dakota Hudson stopped another losing skid for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hudson tossed six effective innings, Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer and the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 Thursday.

Marcell Ozuna, Matt Wieters and Matt Carpenter also went deep for the Cardinals , who avoided their first sweep against Philadelphia since 2006.

Hudson (4-3) allowed four hits and one run in his fourth straight quality start. All of those outings followed losses and three resulted in wins for St. Louis.

“It’s a continuation of what he’s been doing,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “He controlled his counts, imposed his will, had stopper stuff. He’s a smart guy. He’s conscientious of taking advantage of every opportunity and he’s conscientious of taking guidance from guys like Adam Wainwright.”

Jordan Hicks got the last three outs for his 11th save in 12 tries after three relievers worked two innings. Right fielder Dexter Fowler made a leaping catch into the stands to catch a foul ball to end the game.

Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff (2-3) gave up four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals jumped ahead 2-0 in the second on a pair of solo homers. Ozuna hit his 16th on a 1-2 pitch the opposite way into the right-field stands. One out later, Wieters drove one out to right for his second homer in two days and third this season.

Gyorko’s two-run shot in the seventh made it 4-1. Carpenter connected off Edgar Garcia as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

After Carlos Martinez tossed a scoreless seventh, the Phillies rallied against him in the eighth. Andrew McCutchen walked and Jean Segura hit a single. Andrew Miller entered and Bryce Harper ripped an RBI single off him. John Gant replaced Miller and Rhys Hoskins singled in another run to cut it to 5-3.

But Gant retired Cesar Hernandez on an infield popup, struck out Scott Kingery and pinch-hitter J.T. Realmuto flied out.

The Cardinals twice intentionally walked Hoskins to load the bases after Harper hit doubles. The strategy paid off because the Phillies only managed one run. Hernandez had an RBI fielder’s choice grounder in the fourth but lined into an inning-ending double play in the sixth.

Shildt said he likely would’ve done the same thing had Realmuto been hitting in his normal spot behind Hoskins. Andrew Knapp started at catcher, so Hernandez moved up to fifth in the lineup.

“I feel he puts me in situations where I can be successful,” Hudson said of Shildt’s confidence in letting him pitch with the bases loaded. “Getting grounders is my thing. It’s tough (with the bases loaded). You have to stay within yourself. We have the defense and we made the plays.”

BRYCE’S BURST

Harper has multiple extra-base hits in three straight games for just the second time in his career. He did it with Washington in 2017. He has 11 extra-base hits and 16 RBI over his last 13 games. His 11 doubles in May are his most in a month. He has back-to-back games with at least three hits for the fifth time in his career and first since August 2018.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina sat out for the second straight game. He has a bruise on his right hand between his thumb and index finger.

Phillies: Harper was back in the lineup after fouling a pitch off his right foot Wednesday night and exiting the game in the fifth inning with a 10-run lead.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.76 ERA) starts Friday night at home against the Chicago Cubs. He is 3-0, 1.32 in six career appearances, including four starts, vs. the Cubs.

Phillies: RHP Jake Arrieta (5-4, 3.60) pitches the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. He is 3-3, 3.07 in seven career starts against the Dodgers.

— Associated Press —

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper hit his 10th homer , his 200th career double and drove in four before fouling a ball off his foot and exiting in the fifth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4 following a rain delay Wednesday night.

The hot-hitting Harper had his second straight multihit, multi-RBI game against the Cardinals. He drove a two-run homer to left-center in the third and followed an inning later with a two-run hustle double. He had three hits when he left the game with the Phillies ahead by 10 runs.

Aaron Nola (6-0) struck out eight over seven innings, a needed lift to save a bullpen depleted by injuries. Scott Kingery and Maikel Franco hit back-to-back homers in the fifth, and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run shot two batters later to blow the game open.

The Phillies played Genesis’ “I Can’t Dance” when the Cardinals took batting practice, and Genesis Cabrera quickly proved he was in too deep in his major league debut.

The biggest smash hit? Harper crushed a no-doubt shot in the second that had the fans that waited out a 1-hour, 39-minute rain delay roaring as he rounded the bases.

Cabrera had already fallen into a hole in the first because of a stunning miscue in right field by Dexter Fowler. With runners on first and second, Rhys Hoskins hit a routine pop that Fowler stabbed at and missed . Cesar Hernandez made the Cardinals pay with a two-run single for the 2-0 lead. Fowler was with Colorado when he famously misplayed a ball in a gusty wind in Philly in the 2009 division series. Ten years later, the park still gives him fits.

Harper hit his 200th career double — he’s on pace for 50-plus this season — in the fourth inning, and the rout was underway.

Michael Wacha, who lost his spot in the rotation to Cabrera, had his rough season hit a new low: he gave up three home runs in the same inning and the Phillies took an 11-1 lead. McCutchen’s homer off Wacha made him 1 for 1 with four runs scored (he walked three times).

SOLO SHOT

Matt Weiters homered for St. Louis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Placed LHP Adam Morgan on the 10-day injured list with a strained left forearm and recalled RHP Yacksel Rios from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Morgan pitched with a sore elbow for two weeks and made it worse warming up in the bullpen Tuesday night. “I was overcompensating my delivery to not make my elbow hurt, and I think that leads to more problems,” he said. … OF Roman Quinn, on the injured list since April 25 with a right groin strain, still has soreness and there is no timetable on a return. … RHP Edubray Ramos (right shoulder stiffness) and RHP Tommy Hunter (flexor strain) both threw bullpen sessions and could return in June. … RHP David Robertson could start throwing next week, with a potential June return. … RHP Victor Arano had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow and there was no immediate timetable on his return.

PROMOTED

The Phillies promoted OF prospect Adam Haseley, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 draft, to Triple-A Leigh Valley.

BACK AGAIN

RHP Nick Pivetta will start Sunday in Los Angeles. Pivetta (3-1) allowed three runs and three hits Wednesday against the Cardinals, striking out six in his first start since a demotion to Triple-A after posting an 8.35 ERA in his first four starts. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler did not say if Pivetta will keep a spot in the rotation beyond Sunday.

“He’s got to keep performing,” Kapler said.

UP NEXT

RHP Dakota Hudson (3-3, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals in the series finale Thursday against Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-2, 3.86).

— Associated Press —

PHILADELPHIA — Cesar Hernandez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Nick Pivetta threw five tough innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 Tuesday night.

Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna hit homers in the first inning, but the Cardinals wasted a 3-0 lead and lost for the 11th time in 15 games.

Pivetta (3-1) allowed three runs and three hits, striking out six in his first start since a demotion to the minors. He was sent to Triple-A after posting an 8.35 ERA in his first four starts.

Hernandez gave the NL East-leading Phillies a 4-3 lead in the fourth when he launched his sixth homer of the season off the facing of the second deck in right field.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (4-5) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts.

Edgar Garcia got five outs, Seranthony Dominguez retired all four batters he faced and Hector Neris finished for his 10th save in 10 tries.

The Cardinals quickly jumped ahead following a 55-minute rain delay during which Pivetta got soaked jogging in from the bullpen.

Goldschmidt slammed a hanging slider into the left-field seats for his 11th homer. After Paul DeJong was hit by a pitch, Ozuna ripped a two-run shot the opposite way to right for his 15th homer.

Pivetta helped himself with a one-out single in the third. Andrew McCutchen also singled and Bryce Harper lined a two-run double with two outs to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Harper hit another double in the fifth, but was thrown out by center fielder Harrison Bader trying to score on Rhys Hoskins’ single.

Harper also struck out twice and leads the majors with 75.

ROSTER MOVE

The Phillies recalled OF Nick Williams from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after CF Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball following his arrest in a domestic violence case at an Atlantic City casino.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: OF Roman Quinn, on the injured list since April 25 with a right groin strain, could start a rehab assignment by the weekend. Manager Gabe Kapler said Quinn “looks great, looks strong.”

UP NEXT

LHP Genesis Cabrera makes his major league debut for the Cardinals on Wednesday night against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (5-0, 4.53 ERA). Nola is 3-2, 2.59 in five career starts vs. St. Louis.

— Associated Press —