It was a day of firsts for several Cincinnati Reds hitters. And another day to forget for Adam Wainwright.

Brandon Phillips homered for his first RBI of the season and Drew Stubbs homered for his first extra-base hit Thursday as the Reds backed soft-tossing Bronson Arroyo’s eight innings and broke loose for a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that averted a three-game sweep.

“It’s been so long since we played a game like that,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I’m just glad our offense got clicking.”

Ryan Ludwick also homered for the Reds, who had connected just once in their previous nine games and began the day with a .211 batting average.

The Reds picked on Wainwright (0-3), a 20-game winner in 2010 coming off reconstructive elbow surgery that sidelined him all of 2011.

Wainwright is winless in his first three decisions for the first time in his career. He allowed multiple home runs in consecutive starts for just the second time ever.

“His velocity is a little bit down,” Ludwick said. “I feel like we were able to take advantage of it a little bit and in that scenario, you’ve got to. When he’s on, when he gets back to 100 percent, he’s one of those guys that sometimes you’re lucky to get one run against.”

Though he said it was a “valid question” to ask whether the comeback had been a lot tougher than he had anticipated, Wainwright added, “I’m just in a funk.”

“You can say whatever you want to about surgery and all that,” he said. “My arm feels fine, I’m just not throwing great.”

Wainwright allowed four runs in five innings, leaving him with a 9.88 ERA. He thought his fastball had more life and that his curveball also was improved, but “my cutter was brutal, and that’s what both home runs were on.”

Phillips hit his first homer since Sept. 20 against the Astros, a span of 53 at-bats, and earned his first RBI in 40 at-bats. Stubbs was 3 for 5 and the homer was his first extra-base hit in 50 at-bats.

Ludwick’s two-run homer was the Reds’ second in a span of three at-bats in the fourth. Stubbs hit his first off Victor Marte in the seventh.

Matt Holliday’s three-run homer in the sixth was the only damage against Arroyo (1-0), who struck out five and walked none while scattering five hits. Arroyo threw just 90 pitches.

“He doesn’t throw any fastballs on fastball counts,” Holliday said. “He mixes it up, slow, slow and slower, and then he’ll sneak his fastball in there. He had us off-balance.”

Joey Votto added an RBI single in the Reds ninth off Fernando Salas. Sean Marshall struck out the side after allowing a leadoff hit in the ninth for his second save in second chances.

Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay left after the seventh with a sprained right shoulder after bumping into the wall trying to snare Stubbs’ homer. Jay said X-rays showed no significant damage and said he was day to day.

“I was about to make my jump and just miscalculated my steps,” Jay said. “It’s not too bad. Tomorrow is going to be a bigger day.”

Earlier Thursday, general manager John Mozeliak said first baseman Lance Berkman would be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf injury. The Cardinals plan on activating utilityman Skip Schumaker from the 15-day disabled list from a pulled right side muscle sustained in spring training.

“If you can’t run, you can’t play,” Berkman said after the game. “It’s not really that tough of a decision.”

Phillips got his RBI with one out in the third, Jay Bruce followed with a single and Ludwick hit the next pitch beyond the visitor’s bullpen.

Arroyo allowed two hits the first five innings, but the Cardinals opened the sixth with three straight hits. Rafael Furcal and Jay singled before Holliday, who had been 3 for 26 on the homestand, hit his third homer to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The NL Central-leading Cardinals are 9-4. A sweep over the Reds would have given the franchise its best start to the season since it was 13-3 in 1982, a World Series title year.

— Associated Press —

The St. Louis Cardinals’ other Carpenter is fast making a name for himself.

Rookie Matt Carpenter, no relation to injured pitcher Chris Carpenter, made his first Opening Day roster because of Skip Schumaker’s spring training injury. He’s getting a chance to play because Lance Berkman and David Freese have been nursing minor injuries.

When those guys come back, at the very least the Cardinals will have a very valuable bench piece.

“Berkman’s, he’s in there joking, ‘We found our first baseman,'” manager Mike Matheny said. “It’s a great reward when you see somebody work as hard as Matt did.”

The rookie homered, tripled and drove in five runs, backing strong pitching from Jake Westbrook in a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

“The boy can swing it, there’s no doubt about it,” Cubs outfielder Joe Mather said. “Looks like he’s here to stay.”

Cubs starter Paul Maholm (0-2) surrendered six runs in four innings. The left-hander is 0-7 with a 7.03 ERA in nine starts since his last win on July 10, 2011 against the Cubs when he was with Pittsburgh.

“I couldn’t tell you the last time I won,” Maholm said. “So my goal is to go out there and go seven innings and win the game no matter how the outing before went or whether it was good or bad, and that’s what I’m going to expect next week when I take it.”

The 26-year-old Carpenter is batting .409 with 10 RBIs in 22 at-bats, following up on success in spring training when he led the team with 25 hits. He singled his first two trips with an RBI, belted a two-run shot to straightaway center off Lendy Castillo in the fifth for his first career homer and added a two-run triple off Rodrigo Lopez in the seventh.

“We’ve got some guys dinged up, so the opportunty’s there, I’m just trying to make the most of it,” Carpenter said. “I couldn’t tell you if I would have dreamed of having a day like this.

“You’re just up there trying to grind it out and I was fortunate to have a pretty successful day.”

Berkman missed the weekend series with a strained left calf but did some running Sunday and could be back Tuesday when the Cardinals open a three-game series against the Reds. Freese also could be back from an injured right ring finger, but outfielder Carlos Beltran was taken out in the sixth, four innings after he was hit by a pitch on the right forearm when he had trouble throwing.

“They both came in swearing up and down that Tuesday’s their day, so we’ll see what happens,” Matheny said.

Yadier Molina hit a three-run homer in the third and has six RBIs the last three games. Plus he threw out Marlon Byrd attempting to steal in the third.

Westbrook (2-0) allowed one earned run in seven strong innings, following up on his debut in which he gave up an unearned run in seven innings at Cincinnati. He dropped 20 pounds in the offseason after a disappointing 2011 in which he went 12-9 but with a 4.66 ERA and was virtually unused in the Cardinals’ World Series championship run.

Westbrook pounded his sinker for 12 ground ball outs, and allowed four hits. He threw first-pitch strikes to nine of his first 11 batters.

“That’s how I’m able to be successful, when I get ahead and control some counts,” Westbrook said. “Just keeping the hitters on their toes.”

Reed Johnson had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who scored their second run on a wild pitch. They were outscored 15-4 the last two games after hammering Adam Wainwright in St. Louis’ home opener for a 9-5 victory.

Westbrook allowed an unearned run in seven innings in his first start at Cincinnati. He’s gotten plenty of support, with St. Louis scoring 17 runs his first two outings.

The Cardinals needed one hit to score twice in the second, with Carlos Beltran hit by a pitch and Molina walking setting the table to start the inning. Carpenter followed with an RBI single and Shane Robinson beat out the relay on a double play ball for a run-scoring groundout.

Rafael Furcal had been 0-for-12 before doubling to start a four-run third capped by Molina’s homer.

After two starts, Maholm is saddled with an unsightly 13.50 ERA.

“It wasn’t real pretty again,” manager Dale Sveum said. “I just think he’s got to keep the sinker down.

“For the most part, the command and making the pitch when you had to make the pitch, he hasn’t been able to do that so far.”

The Cardinals are 12-6 against the Cubs the last two seasons and 8-2 at home.

— Associated Press —

A handful of Chicago Cubs players were on the field warming up during the St. Louis Cardinals’ pre-game ceremony honoring the World Series champions, watching as the team’s four title trophies were brought onto the field.

“The other 29 teams that aren’t getting one, you’re jealous of the fact somebody else is getting one,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.

Sveum has asked every player on his roster to attend the Cardinals’ ring ceremony on Saturday, too, and show their respect. It’s the least they can do after hammering Adam Wainwright and spoiling St. Louis’ home opener with a rain-soaked 9-5 victory on Friday.

Ian Stewart hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Bryan LaHair later connected for his first career grand slam, and Starlin Castro had three hits, a walk, RBI and steal for the Cubs. Chicago has scored 17 runs the last two games after totaling 19 runs in the first six.

“You can’t say enough about our lineup today,” starter Jeff Samardzija said.

Wainwright’s first start at home since Sept. 19, 2010, was a total mess from the get-go and tied his worst ever from a statistical standpoint — eight earned runs in just three innings.

“I felt disappointed for me, but I felt more disappointed for all the fans that showed up today,” Wainwright said. “I really felt that I did not deliver what they came to see. I know that I will, but I didn’t do it today. I have regrets about that.”

That his outing unraveled moments after some pregame pomp and circumstance that featured 91-year-old Hall of Famer Stan Musial waving from a golf cart to fans who gave him a standing ovation, and that a standing room crowd waited patiently through a rain delay of one hour and 44 minutes before it began only magnified the failure.

Clad in red sportcoats, fellow Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Red Schoendienst, Whitey Herzog, Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter toured the Busch Stadium warning track on the back of flatbed trucks. The franchise showed off all four World Series trophies, held by members of the 1967, 1982 and 2006 and 2011 teams.

Jim Edmonds and David Eckstein came out together with the ’06 trophy.

“I let Jimmy carry it,” Eckstein said. “He’s the one with the good hands.”

Players got the same treatment, accompanied by an endless rendition of the Budweiser beer song. There was a moment of silence for former star pitcher Bob Forsch as a bald eagle circled the field, and two F-16s did a flyover.

Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, the manager and pitching coach who guided the team to a pair of titles in 16 seasons, got huge ovations.

“Even in the weather the fans showed up and they were loud,” new manager Mike Matheny said. “There was a buzz all through the stadium.”

Then the Cubs, who were introduced to mild booing, took over. Stewart’s early homer and the slam by LaHair in the third benefited Samardzija (2-0), who gave up 10 hits and barely qualified for the decision after the Cardinals scored five runs in the fifth.

“That’s obviously not the start you want to have, five and dive,” Samardzija said. “But you can do that when your offense goes out and puts up nine.”

Matt Carpenter had a two-run triple and Jon Jay, David Freese and Yadier Molina each had an RBI in the fifth. Freese came up short in two earlier at-bats, striking out with two on to end the first and tapping out with two on to end the third.

Wainwright (0-2) made his second start since coming off reconstructive elbow surgery that sidelined him all last season. He was in trouble after just nine pitches after David DeJesus doubled, Darwin Barney singled and Castro hit an RBI single. With one out, Stewart barely cleared the wall in left-center for his first homer since Aug. 23, 2010, off the Braves’ Tim Hudson.

Wainwright worked a perfect second but four consecutive Cubs reached with one out in the third, capped by LaHair’s grand slam for an 8-0 cushion. LaHair, who has two homers, led all minor leaguers with 38 last year for Triple-A Iowa.

That was just about it for Wainwright, who matched a career worst with eight earned runs allowed. He also gave up eight on May 15, 2007, at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed nine runs at Milwaukee on Sept. 24, 2007, with just four earned.

Wainwright’s previous low point at home was May 5, 2009, when he surrendered seven earned runs in six innings. Before Friday, Wainwright’s 2.46 home ERA since 2006 had been the best among major league starters, and his 34 wins are the most at 7-year-old Busch Stadium.

After the first two starts this season, Wainwright’s ERA is 11.42. The Cubs’ two four-run innings were the first he’s allowed since Sept. 4, 2009, at Pittsburgh when he gave up six runs in the fifth inning.

“That’s not the Adam we’ve seen through spring training,” Matheny said. “His off-speed stuff wasn’t there, he wasn’t sharp, they came out swinging the bats well.”

— Associated Press —

Joey Votto snapped out of a slump, and so did the Cincinnati Reds.

Votto tied a career best with four hits and scored the go-ahead run on pinch-hitter Chris Heisey’s ninth-inning single, capping a comeback from a three-run deficit and leading the Reds over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 Wednesday.

The Reds avoided a three-game sweep by the defending World Series champions, who won just one of six games in Cincinnati last season. The Reds went 3-3 on their opening homestand and headed off for an 11-day, 10-game trip.

“I don’t think salvage is a fair word,” said Votto, who entered with a .188 average. “We’re just trying to find some momentum. It would’ve been pretty frustrating to go on the road if we hadn’t won this game. The Cardinals played well. They’ve got a good team. They won the World Series. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and they’re certainly in the way.”

Votto doubled off Marc Rzepczynski (0-1) leading off the ninth for the 10th four-hit game of his career. Ryan Ludwick was intentionally walked, Jay Bruce struck out, Fernando Salas relieved and Heisey lined a single to left.

“There was no doubt, right off the bat,” Heisey said. “It was a good feeling to get the barrel of the bat on it.”

Heisey’s hit was Cincinnati’s 14th. The Reds came in batting .201, and manager Dusty Baker said he was confident his offense would pick up.

“You just don’t know when they’re going to start hitting the ball,” Baker said. “It was sure nice to see them come around today. That was a big win for us to end the homestand well and not get too far behind. I know it’s early, but you don’t want to get too far behind.”

Aroldis Chapman (2-0), groomed as a starter during spring training before injuries forced the Reds to keep him in the bullpen, struck out five in two scoreless innings.

“I feel great,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I prefer to be a starter, but they decided to put me back in the bullpen, and I’m happy with that. That’s my job — to hold the other team and let my team get back in the game.”

Reds starter Johnny Cueto gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings.

Down 3-0 in the third against Jaime Garcia, the Reds tied the score in the fifth. Garcia, 6-1 against the Reds, allowed three runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

“I wasn’t the best,” Garcia said. “I was battling. It’s part of the game. I don’t want to make excuses. They have a good lineup. I was getting ahead, but I wasn’t putting them away. I have to work on that in my next bullpen.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny believed his players were a little overmatched against Cueto, especially with regulars Lance Berkman, David Freese and Carlos Beltran getting the day off. Freese, last year’s World Series Most Valuable Player, struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth, ending his season-opening hitting streak at six games.

“We tried to steal one there,” Matheny said. “We tried to grind it out. Cueto is a tough customer, but we put together some good at-bats. Jaime made too many mistakes up in the zone. He’s a touch-and-feel guy, and when he doesn’t feel it, he has trouble. Under different circumstances, he could have gone longer, but he had a rough fifth inning. His pitch count was OK, but he labored with them.”

St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the third on Garcia’s two-out single, Rafael Furcal’s RBI triple into the right-field corner and Jon Jay’s two-run homer, his first home run this season.

Votto doubled in a run in the third, when Garcia escaped a two-on, no-outs jam by striking out Ludwick and Jay, then retiring Miguel Cairo on a groundout. Votto’s double gave the Reds seven hits, matching their total in the first two games on the series.

Bruce’s sacrifice fly and Wilson Valdez’s run-scoring bunt single tied the score in the fifth.

— Associated Press —