WASHINGTON (AP) — Daniel Murphy homered, doubled twice and tied career highs with five RBI and four hits and the Washington Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 on Tuesday night.

Matt Wieters and Jayson Werth also hit solo shots to help Washington earn a second home series victory.

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (1-0) allowed two runs — one earned — over seven innings. He allowed six hits before retiring his last 11 batters.

Lance Lynn (0-1) allowed six runs — four earned — and five hits and four walks over five innings.

Randal Grichuk and Aldemys Diaz homered for St. Louis.

Bryce Harper walked three times against Lynn to reach base in nine straight plate appearances going back to Monday, tying a career high set last season against the Chicago Cubs and manager Joe Maddon. He also doubled in the eighth.

Lynn hadn’t allowed a hit when he walked Gonzalez on four pitches with one out in the third. After a fielding error and a walk to Harper loaded the bases, Murphy ripped a two out-single through the infield to give Washington a 2-1 lead.

Grichuk’s homer tied it in the top of the fourth before Werth and Wieters went deep in the bottom of the inning. Then in the fifth, Lynn walked Harper for the third time before Murphy blasted a 1-2 changeup into the second deck in right to make it 6-2.

Murphy drove in Harper for a second time on an RBI double in the eighth.

BRYCE ON BASE

After going 4 for 4 with two walks in a 14-6 win Monday, Harper’s three walks Tuesday helped him match a stretch from May 7 and 8 of last year. The Cubs and Maddon intentionally walked Harper four times in that stretch, three coming in Harper’s six-walk game on May 8. Harper left the series at Wrigley Field hitting .265. By June 4, the 2015 NL MVP’s average had dipped to .238.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Left-handed hitting 1B Matt Carpenter was out of the starting lineup with back tightness against the lefty Gonzalez, but pinch hit in the ninth inning. “He was good to play today, but with the lefty matchup given the opportunity for Martinez to get in there and have a start,” manager Mike Matheny said.

Nationals: 3B Anthony Rendon began the game on the bench after manager Dusty Baker said he wasn’t sure “if his leg is right 100 percent.” Rendon missed Opening Day with a bruised calf. He came on in the sixth inning to replace Stephen Drew at third.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake looks to build upon an eight-inning outing to open the season.

Nationals: Max Scherzer makes his first home start since the right-hander won the 2016 NL Cy Young Award.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pitching well helps, Cincinnati starter Scott Feldman said. Getting a big lead makes a starter’s job even easier.

Feldman allowed four hits and struck out six in six innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat St. Louis 8-0 Sunday to take two of three from the Cardinals.

“My command was much better this time (than opening day),” Feldman said. “It makes it a lot easier when the guys come out and put all those runs on the board. They swung the bats great today against a really good pitcher.”

Adam Duvall had three hits, including a home run, and two RBI for the Reds, who have won just five of their last 40 series at Busch Stadium.

All that past futility is just that — in the past, Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said.

“We’re just coming in here and playing baseball. We’re not playing the ghosts or demons of series past,” Price said. “We’re just coming in here and playing baseball. And we have a better team than we’ve had in the past, with a lot of new faces.”

St. Louis went 2-4 on its opening homestand and heads on a six-game trip to Washington and the New York Yankees.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his team needs to find some consistency.

“After coming off a good game yesterday, we were hopeful that it would be the key to spark a good long roll,” Matheny said. “We had trouble getting anything going today. We’ve got to keep searching for that really good rhythm.”

Feldman left after the Cardinals put their first two runners on in the seventh. Blake Wood and Tony Cingrani completed a six-hitter.

Carlos Martinez (0-1) gave up six runs, five earned, and six hits in five-plus innings. He hit two batters, walked one and threw a wild pitch.

Duvall homered in the second, the first run off Martinez this season after 8 1/3 scoreless innings.

“He’s got a good fastball,” Duvall said about Martinez. “I wanted to try and stay square on him and not try to over-pull the ball because then it opens up the outer half. And with Yadi (Molina) back there, and with the two of them going, it’s going to be a tough at-bat. I was able to get something to hit and put the barrel on it.”

Zack Cozart tripled in a run in the fifth, and the Reds chased Martinez in the sixth as the Cardinals made three errors, including two on one play by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.

“I’ve made three or four errors sometimes in a game before,” Peralta said. “It happens to everybody. Today, I made a really dumb play.”

Martinez hit Jose Peraza with a pitch, threw a wild pitch and walked Joey Votto. Duvall singled for a 3-0 lead and Peralta allowed Eugenio Suarez’s grounder to bounce off his glove, then threw the ball into right field for a double error as Votto scored.

Scott Schebler hit an RBI double off Brett Cecil, and a second run scored when right fielder Randal Grichuk fumbled the ball for an error as he tried to throw.

Votto homered leading off the ninth.

FIRST HIT

Cincinnati’s Stuart Turner doubled leading off the third for his first major league hit. The 25-year-old, who made his major league debut Thursday, is the first Reds catcher to skip Triple-A and make the opening day roster since Tucker Barnhart in 2014.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Kevin Mesoraco (right hip surgical recovery) was not to have a day off Sunday in his injury rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Pensacola, then catch nine innings Monday.

Cardinals: RF Stephen Piscotty sat out for the second consecutive game with a sore left knee, hurt when he was caught stealing Friday. He did not play Thursday as part of the concussion protocol. He was hit in the head by a throw while sliding home Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (1-0) was to start Monday against Pittsburgh and RHP Tyler Glasnow. Finnegan, who turned 24 Friday, became the first Reds starter to pitch seven shutout innings while allowing no more than one hit in his first start of the season since Jerry Arrigo in 1967.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-1) was scheduled to start Monday at Washington, which goes with RHP Tanner Roark (1-0). Wainwright needs one win to pass Dizzy Dean (134) for sole possession of sixth place in franchise history.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha’s first start of the season was just what the St. Louis Cardinals wanted.

Wacha pitched six fine innings and the Cardinals, behind two home runs from Aledmys Diaz, beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-4 Saturday to spoil Bronson Arroyo’s return to the majors.

“Michael was great,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Reds manager Bryan Price thought Wacha looked like his old self.

“Velocity was back up,” Price said. “I think his hallmark of his game is the downhill plane and he was at the bottom of the zone and below with his fastball.”

Wacha (1-0) allowed three hits and a run, striking out six and walking one. The Cardinals ended a three-game skid and stopped the Reds’ three-game winning streak.

Wacha went 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts in 2015, but struggled a year ago, going 7-7 with a 5.09 ERA in 138 innings. He earned the fifth spot in the rotation with a strong spring, posting a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings over seven starts.

“I was able to establish the fastball down in the zone and was able to work that changeup off of it and I was able get some swings and misses on it,” Wacha said.

The Reds called up 40-year-old Arroyo (0-1) to make the start. The right-hander, who spent 2 1/2 years out of the major leagues with elbow and shoulder troubles, allowed six earned runs on six hits over four innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.

Diaz hit a solo homer in the first inning. He connected for a two-out, three-run drive in the fourth after Wacha extended the inning with his 14th hit in 143 career at-bats.

“Yeah, that killed me,” Arroyo said of Wacha’s single. “You know we get the pitcher out there it’s 2-1 and I’m going into the fifth and you’re looking pretty good, keep yourself in the ballgame. But I opened up a can of worms there I just couldn’t put the lid back on and Diaz hurt me twice, both of them were the two worst pitches I threw all day.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: C Devin Mesoraco (right hip) was scheduled to catch seven innings for Double-A Pensacola on Saturday. He caught six innings on Thursday. . RHP Austin Brice (ulnar nerve inflammation, right elbow) made his first rehab appearance for Pensacola on Friday, striking out two in a 13-pitch inning.

Cardinals: OF Stephen Piscotty (knee) was out of the starting lineup after injuring his knee sliding into second base on a steal attempt on Friday. … RHP Trevor Rosenthal (right lat strain) threw 20 pitches to hitters before Saturday’s game and could be activated from the 10-day disabled list as early as Monday. . LHP Tyler Lyons (right knee) made a rehab start for Triple-A Memphis on Friday, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings and 58 pitches.

UP NEXT

Reds: Scott Feldman (0-1, 5.79) took the loss in his season debut, allowing three earned runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies on opening day. He will make his second career appearance against the Cardinals.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (0-0, 0.00) struck out 10 in 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the season opener against the Cubs. He is 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 16 appearances (five career starts) against Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and most everyone else at Busch Stadium laughed at the bizarre sight — a ball somehow stuck to his chest protector , in plain view of everybody except him.

But the St. Louis star didn’t think it was so funny when asked if a foreign substance helped the thing cling.

“Did I put anything on my chest protector to stick?” Molina said. “That’s a dumb question.”

Whatever happened, it sure made for strange situation at Busch Stadium. And it was the key play that sent the Chicago Cubs past St. Louis 6-4 Thursday.

The Cardinals led 4-2 in the seventh inning when things turned kooky.

Pinch hitter Matt Szczur led off by striking out on a pitch from Brett Cecil that skipped in the dirt. The ball bounced into Molina’s protector and smack, it stayed there.

“I don’t know if they’ve come out with Velcro on the protectors or it’s just a fuzzy baseball,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It was definitely Velcro-ed to his chest.”

As Molina frantically looked for the ball, Szczur headed toward first base.

“I just took off running,” Szczur said. “My first base coach told me it was stuck to his stomach. I thought, `What?”

By the time Molina looked down and discovered the ball, it was too late, Szczur was safe. The Gold Glove catcher could only smile and fans in sellout crowd roared — really, who’d ever seen such a thing?

“I haven’t seen that one before,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “I have no idea what happened there.”

Catchers sometimes put pine tar somewhere on their uniforms, often around the shin guards, to help give them a better grip.

Molina was certain about one thing.

“That play changed everything,” he said. “If we get that first out, everything changes.”

Once Szczur reached on what was scored as a wild pitch, the Cardinals lost their grip on this game.

After a walk, Kyle Schwarber hit a go-ahead, three-run homer. The Cubs added another run later in the inning against Cecil (0-1).

Schwarber, who injured his knee in an outfield collision in the third game last year and missed the rest of the regular season, enjoyed the big hit.

“We celebrated, I made it past the third game this year,” Schwarber said. “I turned the horseshoe around. I turned it up so I could make it through.”

The World Series champions won two in a row after losing to the Cards on opening night.

John Lackey (1-0) threw six solid innings against his former team and new Cubs closer Wade Davis got his second save.

Addison Russell drove in a pair of runs on groundouts for Chicago.

St. Louis starter Lance Lynn went 5 1/3 innings in his first appearance since Oct. 2, 2015. The right-hander, who’d been out since having Tommy John surgery, gave up two runs and five hits.

SLUMP

NL MVP Kris Bryant went 0 for 4 and struck out twice. He also walked and scored a run. The Cubs slugger is 0 for 13 this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Brian Duensing remains on the 10-day disabled list with back spasms. He is eligible to come off on Sunday.

Cardinals: OF Stephen Piscotty did not start, but came into the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. Piscotty was hit in the head by a throw from INF Javier Baez while sliding into the plate in a 2-1 loss on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Brett Anderson will face Milwaukee RHP Jimmy Nelson in the first of a three-game set in Milwaukee on Friday. Anderson will be making his Cubs debut after eight seasons with Oakland (2009-2013), Colorado (2014) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-16)

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake will face Cincinnati LHP Amir Garrett when St. Louis concludes its season-opening homestand with the first of a three games on Friday. Leake has won 10 or more games in four of the last six seasons.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, whose team missed the playoffs in 2016 for the first time in his five-year tenure, has agreed to a three-year contract extension.

The Cardinals announced the new contract Thursday, a day after the rival Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Terms were not disclosed. Matheny had one year remaining on his previous contract, and the extension keeps him with the team through 2020.

The Cardinals have averaged 92 wins per season since Matheny took over after Tony La Russa retired following the World Series-winning 2011 season. Overall, Matheny is 461-349.

Matheny, 46, a former Gold Glove catcher, led the Cardinals to playoff appearances in 2012 through 2015 before falling one game short this season, including NL Central titles in 2013-2015. He also led St. Louis to the 2013 World Series, losing in six games to Boston.

Matheny was lauded for leading the Cardinals to baseball’s best record in 2015, a 100-win season in which they lost to the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs. But they dropped to 86 wins last season, 17 1/2 games behind the Cubs.

The Cardinals, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants were in a three-way race for the final two playoff spots, with the Cardinals falling just short.

“Mike has continued the Cardinals tradition of winning in his first five years as manager and we are happy to extend his contract leading our club on the field through 2020,” Cardinals principal owner and CEO, Bill DeWitt Jr., said in a statement.

The Cardinals also announced changes in their coaching staff. Bill Mueller, who served as third base coach in Jose Oquendo’s absence, will return to his former duty as assistant hitting coach. Oquendo missed the entire season after undergoing knee replacement surgery.

Oliver Marmol, who was manager of the Class A Palm Beach affiliate, will be first base coach in 2017. Triple-A Memphis manager Mike Shildt moves to quality control coach for the major league team. The Cardinals said all of the other major league coaches will return except assistant hitting coach Derrick May.

One of the Cardinals’ themes has been continuity. Since owner Bill DeWitt Jr. bought the team in 2005, the Cardinals have had just two managers, Matheny and LaRussa, and two general managers, Walt Jocketty and John Mozeliak.

“I know if you read Twitter or the blogs, [Matheny] definitely takes a black eye out there, but when you watch even the most recent World Series, two of the most highly respected managers in the game were being second-guessed and I think what it really tells you is managing is hard,” Mozeliak said. “It’s certainly hard to appease the masses.

“With Mike, whether you agree with how he calls a game or not, he certainly has the respect of his players and he gets the most out of them.”

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — All season long, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny set 10-games over .500 as a target for his team.

St. Louis, on its tenth try, finally reached that mark with a 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, but the Cardinals still missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Matt Carpenter homered and Randal Grichuk keyed a six-run seventh-inning with a two-run double to lead St. Louis to its fourth win in a row.

But the Cardinals (86-76) were eliminated while still on the field when San Francisco (87-75) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 and earned the second NL wild card.

“That’s the danger when it’s not in your hands anymore,” Matheny said. “Our focus was to take care of our own business, and we did that.”

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright allowed two runs and six hits over six innings. He did not get a decision.

“To miss the playoffs by one game — that’s tough to swallow,” Wainwright said. “You think about how many times you could’ve won games, or just one or two games, and you didn’t. It gets you to thinking back a little bit.”

St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday was brought into the game briefly to play left field in the ninth inning. He was given a standing ovation and taken out before the first pitch. The Cardinals announced Friday they plan to decline his 2017 option and allow him to become free agent.

“How special was that?” Matheny said. “What instigated it was the response of the fans, so badly they wanted to see him one more time.”

St. Louis was a big league-best 100-62 last year but lost to the Chicago Cubs in the Division Series. The Cardinals never led the NL Central at any point this season and finished with a losing record at home (38-43) for the first time since 1999.

“Anytime you don’t win the World Series, it’s disappointing,” said infielder Aledmys Diaz. “But we kept coming and never let down.”

“To get close, it definitely makes it a little more disappointing,” Carpenter said. “But that’s the nature of the business. There’s only team that doesn’t have this day.”

After making the playoffs for three straight years, Pittsburgh dropped from 98-64 to 78-83.

Yadier Molina had three hits for the Cardinals. Stephen Piscotty singled in Molina to break a 4-4 tie in the seventh.

Carpenter hit his 21st homer of the season off Antonio Bastardo for a 4-2 lead.

Jonathan Broxton (4-2) won despite allowing two runs in one inning of relief.

Juan Nicasio (10-7) gave up three runs without recording an out in the seventh.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run single in the fifth to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle is ready to move on from the disappointing campaign.

“Forty-one years in the game and I honor the game, I respect the game,” Hurdle said. “And I’ve also gotten very good on closing the book when it’s time to close the book.”

Pittsburgh catcher Eric Fryer had two hits in a losing cause.

“I think down the stretch we definitely competed,” Fryer said. “There’s a lot of optimism here with a lot of young arms.”

PACK THE PLACE

A crowd of 44,615, the 19th sellout of the season, watched the final game.

St. Louis drew 3,444,490, second to the Los Angeles Dodgers in major league home attendance. It was the fifth highest attendance total in franchise history and the 13th successive year the team has drawn at least three million.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Martinez pitched seven sharp innings, Matt Holliday hit an emotional home run and the St. Louis Cardinals stayed in the middle of the NL wild-card race, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0 Friday night.

The Cardinals began the day trailing San Francisco by one game for the second NL wild-card spot. The Giants played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Martinez (16-9) gave up five singles, walked one and struck out nine. John Jaso led off the second with a single and was the only runner to reach third base against Martinez, who left with a 3.04 ERA.

Holliday, out since Aug. 12 because of a thumb injury, was activated off the disabled list at his request Friday.

The club informed him earlier this week that it is not planning to pick up the $17 million option on his contract for 2017, and instead will pay him the $1 million buyout.

Holliday was given a standing ovation before he pinch-hit in the seventh. He responded with his 20th home run, and came out for a curtain call.

Holliday became the sixth Cardinals player to reach 20 homers this season, tying an NL record. It was the first pinch-hit homer of Holliday’s career and was the 17th overall by St. Louis this year, extending its major league mark.

Jedd Gyorko hit his 29th homer and Brandon Moss hit his 28th for the Cardinals.

Tyler Glasnow (0-2) finished his rookie season with his most effective start, working five innings and giving up Gyorko’s homer. Glasnow did not allow another Cardinal past second.

The Cardinals took a 5-0 lead in the sixth with four runs off reliever Trevor Williams. Yadier Molina and Stephen Piscotty doubled in runs and Moss hit a two-run homer. Moss had been in a 7-for-97 skid.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: LF Starling Marte (back) was not in the lineup and is not expected to play in the final two games.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (5-4, 4.25 ERA) lasted two innings in his only start against the Cardinals, a 12-6 loss on Sept. 5.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (7-7, 4.93) has allowed 10 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings over three relief appearances since returning from the DL. He was picked to start Saturday’s game against the Pirates instead of struggling LHP Jaime Garcia.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a disputed double that drove in the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 4-3.

The Cardinals began the day one game behind San Francisco for the second NL wild-card spot.

Matt Carpenter drew a one-out walk from Blake Wood (6-5). With two outs, Molina’s one-hop hit appeared to bounce off a sign above the left-field wall and carom back into play.

Carpenter kept running and scored from first. Reds manager Bryan Price ran after the umpires, who left the field as soon as Carpenter touched the plate.

Price later said umpire crew chief Bill Miller told him that teams have 10 seconds to appeal on a game-ending play, and that the complaint wasn’t made in time.

“I’m not blaming the umpires. I’m blaming the system,” Price said.

Molina and Jedd Gyorko hit solo homers for the Cardinals.

Seung Hwan Oh (6-3) wound up with the win.

Cincinnati scored single runs in the eighth and ninth. Pinch hitter Scott Schebler had a two-out, two-strike infield single to make it 3-all.

Gyorko hit his team-high 28th homer off starter Dan Straily in the second. Molina hit his eighth homer in the fifth.

St. Louis rookie Alex Reyes, in his fifth major league start, gave up one run on seven hits in a 99-pitch outing. He struck out six and walked two.

Reyes, who lowered his ERA to 1.57, also drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout.

Cincinnati closed to within 3-2 in the eighth on a double by Joey Votto and an RBI single by Adam Duvall.

Votto left the game after suffering a cut to his chin while sliding into second base. He had three hits.

The Reds have scored first in their last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: INF Brandon Phillips was held out of the lineup for the second successive game with a sore left hand suffered on a swing Monday night.

Cards: OF Brandon Moss was given the day off. He is mired in a 7-for-95 skid.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Josh Smith (3-2, 4.77) will face the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday. He will be making his second start of the season and 32nd. appearance.

Cards: RHP Carlos Martinez (15-9, 3.15) will oppose Pittsburgh RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 4.91) in the opener of a three-game set on Friday at Busch Stadium. Martinez is 3-5 with a 4.01 ERA lifetime against Pittsburgh. Glasnow will be making his fourth start of the season.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Duvall’s two-run single was all Cincinnati needed as the Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Wednesday night.

The Reds’ third win in their last four games dealt a blow to the Cardinals’ playoff hopes. St. Louis lost ground in the race for the two NL wild cards, falling 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets and possibly two games behind the San Francisco Giants pending the outcome of their game against the Colorado Rockies.

Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani (9-5) allowed one runner in each of the first four innings, but only once during that span did the Cardinals have anyone in scoring position. He stranded five runners, including two in the sixth, his last inning. He allowed six hits and one run.

It was the fifth quality start out of six in DeSclafani’s career against the Cardinals. He improved to 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA against St. Louis.

Duvall drove in his 101st and 102nd RBI with his third-inning single. He has seven RBI in the series.

Raisel Iglesias earned his fifth save in six opportunities with two innings of relief.

Cardinals starter Mike Leake (9-12) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings, striking out six.

Leake was lifted for pinch-hitter Matt Adams in the fifth and he grounded into a double play that scored Aledmys Diaz for the Cardinals’ lone run.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought closer Seung Hwan Oh in with one out in the eighth inning. Oh struck out both batters to get the Cardinals out of a jam after Duvall tripled to lead off the inning.

Oh left the game with two outs in the ninth after being hit by a line drive from Jose Peraza.

The Cardinals had runners on second and third with one out in the eighth, but couldn’t convert.

SPECIAL GUESTS

The St. Louis Blues attended the game and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk threw out the first pitch. The Cardinals wore hybrid Blues/Cardinals jerseys during warmups.

ROSTER MOVES

The Reds claimed IF/OF Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the San Diego Padres and placed SS Zack Cozart on the 60-day DL list. This is the fourth organization Kivlehan has been a part of this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips (left hand) and OF Scott Schebler (left hamstring) were scratched from the lineup.

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (thumb) is not on a live batting practice schedule.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Dan Straily (14-8, 3.74 ERA) has made 11 starts in which he allowed three hits or fewer. He is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three career appearances against St. Louis.

Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes (4-1, 1.58 ERA) has earned a win in his last three appearances. He is 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career appearances against Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Playing with a heavy heart, Aledmys Diaz hit his first career grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals finished with five home runs Tuesday night in a 12-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

St. Louis kept pace in a tight race for the two NL wild cards, with a chance to gain some ground pending San Francisco’s late game against Colorado.

The New York Mets lead the wild-card standings and remained 1 1/2 games ahead of the Cardinals thanks to a 12-1 win at Miami.

Jhonny Peralta had a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the Cardinals, who had lost four of five. Matt Carpenter, Randal Grichuk and Matt Adams also homered.

Joey Votto and Scott Schebler went deep for the Reds, who beat St. Louis 15-2 on Monday.

Diaz returned to the lineup after attending a private ceremony in Florida on Monday for childhood friend Jose Fernandez, the late Miami Marlins ace who died in a boating accident early Sunday.

Before the game, Diaz said the best way to honor Fernandez, who grew up three houses away from him, was to “play hard and give 100 percent every time out there. That’s the way he wanted it.”

Diaz’s fourth-inning slam erased a 2-1 deficit and sparked the Cardinals, who managed just one hit over the first three innings.

Cincinnati starter Robert Stephenson (2-3) ended up allowing five runs in four innings.

Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright (13-9) gave up five runs and 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Adams unloaded a pinch-hit homer in the sixth, extending the franchise record to 16 this season.

St. Louis has hit an NL-leading 218 homers this year.

Carpenter hit his 20th home run, giving the Cardinals five players with 20 or more.

Votto was 3 for 5 and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: SS Zack Cozart, who has not played since Sept. 10 due to a sore right knee, was placed on the disabled list and will not return this season.

Cardinals: Carpenter was back in the starting lineup after missing Monday’s game with a right finger injury.

UP NEXT

Reds RHP Anthony DeSclafani (8-5, 3.38 ERA) faces RHP Mike Leake (9-11, 4.72) in the third game of the four-game series on Wednesday. DeSclafani has 13 quality starts in 19 starts this season. Leake is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in three starts against his former team.

— Associated Press —