The Sports Xchange
Jun 26, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- Randal Grichuk and Jedd Gyorko each homered and knocked in three runs Monday as the St. Louis Cardinals walloped the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 in a makeup game at Busch Stadium.
Both went deep to key three-run rallies. Gyorko cracked a two-run shot off Brandon Finnegan (1-1) in the bottom of the first inning for a 3-0 lead. Grichuk skied a two-run blast off reliever Austin Brice in the fourth to cap St. Louis' second three-spot of the day, making it 6-1.
Given plenty of run support, Michael Wacha (4-3) delivered one of his best outings of the season. Wacha allowed five hits and a run in six innings with a walk and five strikeouts in his second win over Cincinnati this year.
Finnegan lasted only three innings before departing with a left triceps strain while pitching to Paul DeJong in the fourth. Finnegan was charged with three runs, three hits and four walks, fanning two.
Wildness hurt Finnegan in his first big league start since April 15. He issued walks to Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty in the first inning. Pham used his legs to manufacture a run before Gyorko homered, taking second on a simple fly ball to center, stealing third and scoring on a passed ball by Devin Mesoraco.
Brice was tagged for nine hits and five runs in two-plus innings. Pham poked an RBI single to left-center field in the fourth right before Grichuk's second homer in as many games.
Grichuk and Gyorko made it 8-1 in the sixth with run-scoring singles.
Both Cincinnati runs scored courtesy of Adam Duvall sacrifice flies in the fourth and eighth innings.
The Cardinals (35-40) won their second straight game and the Reds (31-44) lost for the 14th time in 16 games. It was just their third loss in 10 games against St. Louis this year.
NOTES: Cincinnati activated LHP Brandon Finnegan (left shoulder) from the 60-day DL to start. It made room for him by optioning RHP Lisalverto Bonilla to Triple-A Louisville. ... St. Louis gave 1B Matt Carpenter a rest day, marking just the eighth time in 75 games he wasn't in the starting lineup. Rookie Luke Voit made his first big league start in Carpenter's place. ... The Reds transferred RHP Bronson Arroyo (right shoulder) from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Arroyo originally went on the DL on June 19 with a 3-6 record and 7.35 ERA.