Professional – Page 77 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Cardinals drop series finale against Milwaukee 5-4

Posted on May 4, 2017May 4, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jesus Aguilar’s first major league home run broke a seventh-inning tie, leading the Milwaukee Brewers over the banged-up St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Thursday night.

Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty left the game after the second inning with a strained right hamstring and center fielder Dexter Fowler came out following the third with a strained right shoulder. Randal Grichuk moved from left to center and Aledmys Diaz shifted from shortstop to left in the first outfield appearance of his professional career.

Piscotty pulled up with a strained right hamstring after crossing first base on his grounder to third base that ended the second. Fowler was hurt in an unsuccessful attempt for a diving catch on Hernan Perez’s third-inning drive.

Randal Grichuk moved from left to center and Aledmys Diaz shifted from shortstop to left in the first outfield appearance of his professional career.

Milwaukee won its first series at St. Louis since April 28-30, 2014, ending a streak of 15 series losses and two splits.

With the score 4-4, Aguilar pinch hit for pitcher Oliver Drake (2-0) and homered against Matt Bowman (1-1) in his 100th career big league at-bat over four seasons.

Keon Broxton had four hits for the Brewers, including an RBI double in the third and a home run in the fifth against Adam Wainwright that tied the score 4-4.

Drake got his second win of the series, striking out Matt Carpenter to strand runners at second and third in the sixth inning. Neftali Feliz walked Carpenter leading off the ninth, then got three straight outs for his eighth save in nine chances.

Wainwright gave up four runs and 10 hits in five innings. Brewers starter Chase Anderson allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Fowler hit a two-run triple in a three-run second, but Travis Shaw had a two-run double in the third and scored on Broxton’s double. Yadier Molina’s RBI single put the Cardinals ahead 4-3 in the bottom half.

WEB GEMS

Piscotty threw out Broxton at the plate when he tried to score on Anderson’s single. … Grichuk made a leaping catch against the wall to rob Jonathan Villar of a leadoff extra base hit in the third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: LF Ryan Braun (right trapezius soreness) missed his third straight game.

Cardinals: INF Jhonny Peralta (upper respiratory illness) is to begin a rehab assignment at Class A Palm Beach on Friday.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (1-2, 5.34 ERA) is slated to start the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Friday. Nelson is 2-2 with a 2.96 ERA in five starts at PNC Park.

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (3-1, 2.45 ERA) is to pitch the first game of a three-game series at Atlanta.

— Associated Press —

Nate Karns dazzles for Royals in victory over White Sox

Posted on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nate Karns pitched six innings of one-hit ball, striking out four in his final frame, and the Kansas City Royals cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.

Karns (1-2) wound up striking out seven with only one walk in his best performance of the season, one that helped Kansas City assure itself at least a split of the four-game series with the finale Thursday afternoon.

Mike Pelfrey (0-2) kept the White Sox in it until the sixth, when he gave up a single, double and triple in succession. Eric Hosmer followed with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead, a shot to center that came within about 5 feet of giving the Royals a natural team cycle.

Pelfrey allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, and White Sox slugger Jose Abreu homered off the Kansas City bullpen with two outs in the ninth.

There was little indication a pitchers’ duel would break out Wednesday night.

Karns had allowed 10 runs and four homers over 10 2/3 innings in his last two games, losing both of them. That included a 5-2 loss to the White Sox just last week.

Yet he managed to handcuff the hot-hitting White Sox on Wednesday night, giving up a single with two outs in the first inning and little else. Karns dealt with another runner in the fourth thanks to his own error, and a third runner in the sixth when he struck out Yolmer Sanchez with a wild pitch.

Karns wound up striking out four in that inning, fanning Abreu to end it. It was the first time a Royals pitcher struck out four in an inning since Kevin Appier on Sept. 3, 1996.

Meanwhile, Pelfrey had surrendered seven runs over 8 2/3 innings in his first two starts of the year, and that was only marginally better than his performances all of last season.

But the big right-hander bore down against the weak-hitting Royals, giving up a pair of singles and a walk over the first five innings, easily escaping trouble each time.

The Royals finally got to him in the sixth when Mike Moustakas followed Whit Merrifield’s one-out single with his double to the gap in right. Lorenzo Cain followed with an RBI triple to the same spot, and Hosmer’s fly ball to the wall in center gave Kansas City a comfortable cushion.

The Royals tacked on three more runs off the Chicago bullpen.

BROKEN LUMBER

White Sox center fielder Leury Garcia was so frustrated after striking out while chasing a pitch in the dirt in the fifth that he slammed his bat in the dirt. It promptly shattered, earning a jeer from the crowd.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Derek Holland takes the mound Thursday in the series finale. His last win against the Royals came on April 22, 2011, at Globe Life Park.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy is winless in his last nine starts, dating to a 2-0 win in Chicago last Sept. 1. He has posted a 3.07 ERA during that streak.

— Associated Press —

Cards, Brewers postponed; Thursday’s game moved to 6:15

Posted on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals’ home game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night has been postponed by bad weather.

A makeup date was not immediately announced. Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals and Chase Anderson of the Brewers had been set to start the game.

The Cardinals said Thursday’s game against the Brewers, originally scheduled for 12:45 p.m., had been pushed back to 6:15 p.m. because of the weather forecast.

Heavy rains have swollen many rivers to record levels in parts of Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Hundreds of people have been displaced and thousands more are potentially in harm’s way.

— Associated Press —

Royals get blanked by White Sox 6-0

Posted on May 2, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Quintana received some welcome early run support in beating the Kansas City Royals.

Quintana gave up four singles over eight innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Royals 6-0 on Tuesday night.

Quintana (2-4) walked two, struck out seven and allowed only one runner to reach second base. The White Sox had given him a career-low 1.84 runs per game in his first five starts, which was the second lowest in the American League. The White Sox, however, jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings Tuesday, making easier for the 28-year-old Colombian left-hander.

“That’s good,” Quintana said. “That’s a nice thing. The hitters were aggressive the whole game. When you’ve got that support early, that’s really good.”

Quintana’s career record is 48-50.

“He pitches well whether he has run support or not,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “You ask anybody from the organization, even prior to me getting here, he’s pitched well enough to win more games than his record shows, but he just hasn’t had the run support. He’s done his job.”

Royals manager Ned Yost was impressed with Quintana.

“He was really, really good,” Yost said. “You’ve got to give him some credit. He made the All-Star team last year and he’s always been tough against us, even though we find ways to beat him.”

The Royals lost for the 10th time in 11 games. Starter Danny Duffy (2-2) allowed six runs, 10 hits and two walks over five innings. Duffy has lost back-to-back starts to the White Sox, giving up 12 runs and 19 hits in 9 2/3 innings.

“I let my team down today,” Duffy said. “The last two times I’ve gone out there I’ve cost my team a chance to win. So, I take all the responsibility for the last two losses.”

It was Duffy’s first home loss since Sept. 5, 2015, snapping his franchise record of 16 consecutive Kauffman Stadium starts without a defeat.

Yolmer Sanchez had three hits and Avisail Garcia and Geovany Soto each had two to lead Chicago’s offense.

Garcia was 2 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. He leads the American League with a .382 batting average, and his on-base percentage hiked to .433. He scored a run in the second and drove in Sanchez with a third-inning single.

Sanchez led off the third with a double and drove in Soto with a single in the sixth. Soto had two hits, a sacrifice fly and two RBI. His second-inning single scored Todd Frazier with the first run of the game. His fly out to Whit Merrifield in the third scored Jose Abreu to make it 4-0.

TRES GARCIAS AGAIN

The White Sox recalled OF Willy Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte and started him in left field. Leury Garcia was in center and Avisail Garcia in right, giving the White Sox an all-Garcia outfield for the second time this season. The trio also started April 14, the first time in major league history that a team began a game playing three outfielders with the same last name. Willy Garcia has hit .294 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games in the International League.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP James Shields (right lat strain) threw off a flat surface, but it could be a while before he returns to the rotation. “It’s kind of a slower process than I thought, right now,” Shields said. “It’s not really responding the way I would like it to be. I’ll keep moving forward.”

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Mike Pelfrey is 1-4 with a 6.51 ERA in nine career games against the Royals.

Royals: RHP Nate Karns is 0-2 with 5.24 ERA in four career starts versus the White Sox.

— Associated Press —

Martinez earns first win as Cardinals defeat Milwaukee

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Martinez pitched effectively into the eighth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals once again beat Wily Peralta, topping the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Tuesday night.

Martinez (1-3), making his sixth start of the season, retired the first 12 batters. He gave up an unearned run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one.

Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in three chances.

Peralta (4-2) fell to 0-9 in his last 11 starts against the Cardinals. He allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Matt Carpenter, Stephen Piscotty and Kolten Wong each had two hits, combining for all of the Cardinals’ six.

It was scoreless when Carpenter led off the sixth with a single and Piscotty had a one-out double. Yadier Molina had a sacrifice fly off reliever Jacob Barnes and Wong singled with two outs for a 2-0 lead.

Wong, who had a baserunning blunder and a fielding error in the Cardinals’ 7-5, 10-inning loss on Monday, extended his hitting streak to eight games. He’s batting .423 (11-for 26) during the string.

The Brewers scored in the seventh when Domingo Santana singled off Martinez’s glove, Nick Franklin, reached on an error by Carpenter at first base and Jett Bandy singled.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: LF Ryan Braun (right trapezius soreness) was not in the lineup for the second consecutive game, but did pinch hit in the ninth inning. He remains day to day.

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (right intercostal strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and RHP Sam Tuivailala was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (2-0, 2.10) is 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA over his last 17 starts dating to last season. He is 0-2 with a 1.97 ERA in six career starts against the Cardinals.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 6.12) is 15-8 with a 2.19 ERA and six complete games in 29 career starts and 36 appearances against the Brewers.

— Associated Press —

Former Chief Jamaal Charles signs with AFC West rival Broncos

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Declaring “I still have more in my tank,” Jamaal Charles, the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time rushing leader, signed with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos on Tuesday for a chance to prove it.

“Excited to have Jamaal Charles join the Broncos,” general manager John Elway tweeted Tuesday afternoon upon signing Charles to a one-year, incentive-laden deal. “A great addition to our backfield, and we’re thrilled we won’t have to play against him!”

While it may be strange seeing him in navy and gold, Charles said he already feels right at home.

“I always wanted to play with Denver,” Charles said. “Growing up, John Elway was my favorite player.”

Charles played in just eight games over the past two seasons after tearing his right ACL in October 2015, leading the Chiefs to cut him this winter.

Charles posted videos on Twitter of his workouts to show how primed he is for a comeback at age 30.

“I still can play ball,” Charles said. “I still can keep up with the young people. So, I feel I still have more in my tank.”

Charles ran for 7,260 yards and 43 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Chiefs. He added 2,457 yards receiving and 20 TD catches. But a career that looked as if it would land Charles in the Hall of Fame was derailed the past few years by injuries that cut short several seasons in his prime.

He tore his left ACL while taking an awkward step out of bounds in Detroit in 2011. He tore his right ACL against Chicago four years later.

After missing the start of last season, Charles returned to play in only three games, carrying 12 times for 40 yards, before requiring more operations on his knees.

The Chiefs cut the four-time Pro bowl running back to clear more than $6 million in salary cap space so they could focus on solidifying their O-line and keep the heart and soul of their defense — All-Pro safety Eric Berry.

At the NFL combine in March, Chiefs GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid reminisced about Charles, saying they believe he’ll be enshrined in Canton one day.

“Jamaal Charles, to me, is one of the finest football players to ever play in the National Football League,” Dorsey said. “These are hard decisions to make when you have a player of that magnitude and that caliber.”

“One of my favorite guys I’ve had a chance to coach,” Reid said at the combine. “You know, he’s not a very big guy but he’s fearless, he ran inside, had the speed outside, world-class speed to turn the corner. Had great hands and on top of that he’s a great kid and just dirty tough. … But we all do get older and that’s the way the National Football League is.”

When he cut him, Dorsey wished “Jamaal and his family the best of luck in their next step.”

That’s in Denver, where Charles, whose 5.5-yard career rushing average is the best in NFL history, will get two cracks at his former team: the Broncos visit the Chiefs on Oct. 30 and host them Dec. 31.

“I’m just happy I get to play them twice a year,” Charles said, chuckling. “I’ll just leave it like that. I’ll let those two games speak for themselves. At the end of the day, I love my (former) teammates. I wish them the best. I know they wish me the best, too. At the end of the day, it’s about how we can feed our families. I’m here with the Broncos.”

Charles joins a backfield that was bruised and battered last season and was unable to keep pressure off the Broncos’ young quarterbacks and wide receivers.

C.J. Anderson missed the second half of the season with a torn meniscus and he was joined on IR by Kapri Bibbs (hamstring) and fullback Andy Janovich (ankle). Rookie Devontae Booker, who was coming off two knee surgeries, led the team with 612 yards rushing and four TDs.

As a group, the Broncos averaged 92.8 rushing yards, ranking 27th in the NFL, a big reason they failed to make the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl.

The Broncos also drafted De’Angelo Henderson of Coastal Carolina in the sixth round last weekend.

“I just love C.J. Anderson’s game,” Charles said. “He’s powerful and he’s fast. He is physical and he breaks tackles. Just playing with a guy like that, I just want to come in here and help the team with my explosiveness. I want to come up and play for each other and push each other to get better. That’s the goal at the end of the day.

“Now we’re on the same team,” added Charles, who will join his new teammates Monday, “so we’re going to try and push each other to get to the one goal, and that’s another Super Bowl.”

— Associated Press —

Hosmer, Bonifacio homer as Royals end 9-game losing streak

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer and Jorge Bonifacio hit two-run homers, and the Kansas City Royals snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Bonifacio homered with two outs in the fourth after Alex Gordon doubled. It was his second home run in eight games since being promoted April 21 from Triple-A Omaha.

Hosmer’s two-out homer in the seventh inning with Christian Colon aboard finished the night for White Sox rookie starter Dylan Covey (0-2).

Salvador Perez’s single in the fifth struck the third base bag and scored Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas with two outs.

Left-hander Jason Vargas (4-1) allowed one run on five hits and three walks over six innings to pick up the win. Vargas has a 1.42 ERA in five starts.

Peter Moylan, Joakim Soria and Scott Alexander worked three hitless innings, striking out five, after Vargas was removed after 96 pitches.

Covey was charged with six runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings, his longest major league outing.

Jacob May’s ground-ball single in the fourth scored Todd Frazier with the lone White Sox run. May was hitting .030, 1 for 33, at the time.

White Sox reliever Michael Ynoa walked Bonifacio, and Brandon Moss and hit Escobar to load the bases with one out before Colon grounded into a double play.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Avisail Garcia, who leads the American League with a .368 batting average, was held out of the lineup after leaving the Sunday game with left groin tightness. “I’m just going to give him another day,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It’s a little cool out there today — precaution and another day to get it worked on.” . James Shields (right lat strain) threw on flat ground for the second time since being placed on the disabled list April 21.

Royals: OF Jorge Soler (strained oblique) went 2 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch Monday while rehabbing for Triple-A Omaha in a 2-1 victory over Oklahoma City. Soler is hitting .308 with a .958 OPS in eight rehab games.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana is 2-9 with a 4.27 ERA against the Royals.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is 8-0 with a 3.43 ERA since the start of the 2016 season at Kauffman Stadium.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis loses series opener to Milwaukee in 10 innings

Posted on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Travis Shaw and Jonathan Villar each hit a tape-measure home run, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 in 10 innings on Monday night.

Shaw’s three-run shot off Seung Hwan Oh (0-2) traveled an estimated 451 feet and broke a 4-all tie with two outs in the top of the 10th. Villar’s two-run drive in the third soared 450 feet to right-center and gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Jedd Gyorko hit two late homers for the Cardinals and finished with four hits. Aledmys Diaz and Matt Carpenter connected back-to-back in the fifth.

Oliver Drake (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and Neftali Feliz earned his seventh save.

Milwaukee starter Zach Davies allowed at least one runner in every inning. He gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, stranding six.

Domingo Santana led off the fourth with a double and scored his fifth run in two games on Manny Pina’s single to make it 3-0.

Eric Thames doubled home Villar in the fifth to make it 4-0. Thames has reached safely in 23 of 24 games this season.

Diaz and Carpenter homered in the fifth to cut the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. It was the first set of back-to-back home runs for the Cardinals this season.

Gyorko led off the eighth and 10th with home runs to give him six this season — all solo shots.

Cardinals starter Michael Wacha gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.

WONG’S WOES

Kolten Wong ran into a rally-killing out to end the sixth. Cardinals pinch-hitter Matt Adams singled and Wong went from first to third, but fell down after rounding third. He was retired in a long rundown that was scored 8-6-2-5-6.

Wong’s error in the 10th led to Shaw’s home run. Hernan Perez opened the inning with a liner off Wong’s glove and the second baseman threw wildly to first, allowing Perez to reach safely. The extra out allowed Shaw to bat with two outs.

NEW LOCKS, NEW LUCK?

Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez has more of a traditional hair style. Martinez, the team’s opening day starter, hopes the new look changes his fortunes. He has sported gold and silver long hair, but is winless through his first five starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: OF Ryan Braun (right trapezius soreness) remains day to day. … LHP Tommy Milone was designated for assignment, and Milwaukee selected the contract of RHP Rob Scahill from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Cardinals: INF Jhonny Peralta (upper respiratory illness) has worked in the batting cage, but still hasn’t taken live fielding.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Wily Peralta (4-1, 5.19 ERA) looks for his third quality start Tuesday night. He is 4-11 with a 5.10 ERA in his career against St. Louis, including 0-8 with a 5.46 ERA over his last eight starts vs. the Cardinals.

Cardinals: Martinez (0-3, 4.71) is still seeking his first win since Sept. 30, 2016. He is 4-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 20 career appearances against Milwaukee.

— Associated Press —

Royals drop ninth straight with 7-5 loss to Minnesota

Posted on April 30, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Miguel Sano wrapped up April with another nice day. The young slugger is off to a great start with the Minnesota Twins.

Sano homered and drove in five runs, helping the Twins beat slumping Kansas City 7-5 on Sunday for the Royals’ ninth straight loss.

It was Sano’s fourth consecutive multihit game. He has 11 hits in his last 16 at-bats. He drove in nine runs in the two-game, rain-abbreviated series.

“I’ve been hot before in the minor leagues, but big leagues this is first time,” he said.

He finished April with seven homers and 25 RBI. Torii Hunter was the last Twin with more than seven homers in April with nine in 2002.

“Miggy had a heckuva trip,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He’s been a big force for us. He’s tough to pitch to. He seems to be handling all quadrants of the strike zone.”

Sano connected in the third after Jason Hammel (0-3) walked Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. He added run-producing singles in the fourth and sixth innings.

It’s the longest slide for Kansas City since a 12-game skid in April 2012.

“It’s tough to go through a stretch like this, especially when I know we’re better than what we’re playing,” center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. “What can you do? Keep playing, keep battling. Hopefully we can come out of this.”

The Twins finished April 12-11. They did not get their 12th victory last season until May 25 in their 36th game.

“It was good trip, when you win four out of five,” Molitor said.

Minnesota right-hander Phil Hughes (4-1) got the win despite allowing 10 hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.

“He’s been doing a good job as far as keeping major damage down,” Molitor said.

Brandon Kintzler yielded Whit Merrifield’s two-out homer in the ninth before finishing for his seventh save.

Cain went deep for the Royals, belting a solo shot in the fifth for his first homer since Aug. 16. Salvador Perez went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a RBI and two runs scored. The Royals’ 12 hits were a season high.

Kansas City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second. Perez doubled in Eric Hosmer and scored on Brandon Moss’s two-out single.

But Sano’s seventh homer put Minnesota ahead to stay, and Kepler had a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the Twins’ two-run fourth.

Eddie Rosario’s fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. Jorge Polanco drove in Minnesota’s last run with an infield hit with two out in the ninth.

Hammel failed to get out of the fourth for his second straight start, allowing five runs and six hits with three walks. Hammel’s ERA climbed to 6.65.
“I’m making the same mistakes, basically walks,” Hammel said. “I’ve got to clean up the walks. I’m throwing too many pitches per at-bat. Full counts every at-bat. Seventy pitches through three innings; that’s just not acceptable, so I’ve got to clean up the mistakes. It’s ridiculous. It’s amateur stuff that I’m doing right now, just trying to do too much.”

Rain delayed the start of the game 63 minutes.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: SS Ehire Adrianza (right oblique strain) went 1 for 3 with a walk with Triple-A Rochester. He is hitting .304 in six rehab games.

Royals: RHP Seth Maness, who signed a minor league contract in February after he had elbow surgery last August, was activated by Triple-A Omaha. Maness is 17-10 with a 3.19 ERA in 244 career relief appearances with St. Louis.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana will start Tuesday against Oakland after an off day Monday.

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas will face the White Sox on Monday after losing to them last week in Chicago.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals fall at home to Cincinnati 5-4

Posted on April 30, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Duvall is not about to reveal his secret.

The slumping Cincinnati outfielder hit three doubles and a single Sunday, helping the Reds to a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Duvall began the day in a 4-for-35 skid. He spent several hours working in the indoor batting cage after Saturday’s game was postponed by rain — and discovered a flaw.

“Let’s just say I corrected it,” Duvall said. “I can’t talk about it, or give details.”

“But, I was seeing the ball great today,” he said.

Duvall tied a career high with four hits and raised his batting average 33 points to .247.

“He had a huge day,” Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. “There is always that feeling, even in the times when he’s struggling, that the next day he’s going to come in and bust out and do some damage. He just doesn’t concede to the struggles.”

Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning for the Reds, who had lost eight of their previous nine games.

Votto’s bases-loaded single came off Trevor Rosenthal (0-1). Votto had been 0 for 5 with three strikeouts against the hard-throwing reliever.

“We’ve just got to continue to chug along and get better,” Votto said. “Games like this are how you set a tone.”

Wandy Peralta (1-0) picked up the win by tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Closer Raisel Iglesias threw two innings to record his fourth save in as many chances. It was his second two-inning save of the season.

Duvall, Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler drove in runs in the three-run seventh to tie the game.

Devin Mesoraco singled sandwiched around walks to Tucker Barnhart and Billy Hamilton to load the bases against Rosenthal in the eighth. Votto followed with a two-strike single up the middle.

“We never stopping fighting,” Duvall said. “It was a satisfying win.”

St. Louis starter Mike Leake gave up one run on eight hits over seven innings. He is 0-3 against his former team in six career starts.

“They’ve always been a pesky team,” Leake said. “Every time I face them, it seems like they’re a little more into it.”

RAIN GO AWAY

The Cardinals have had three games postponed due to the rain so far, their most ever in the month of April. Saturday’s contest with Cincinnati was called. No makeup date has been announced.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. He began the season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow in February.

Cardinals: INF Jhonny Peralta remains on the 10-day disabled list with an adverse reaction to medication taken for a respiratory infection.

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP Amir Garrett (2-2, 5.09) will face Pittsburgh’s RHP Gerrit Cole (1-3, 3.60) on Monday in the first of a four-game series. Garrett did not allow a run in the first two starts covering 12 innings.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-1, 2.55) will take on Milwaukee RHP Zach Davies (2-2, 6.57) in the first of a four-game set on Monday in St. Louis. Wacha is 4-0 in his career against the Brewers.

— Associated Press —