Jeimer Candelario homered and Nick Lodolo allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings as the Cincinnati Reds won their season-best fourth straight, beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 on Monday.
Reds reliever Fernando Cruz struck out all five batters he faced in relief of Lodolo and Lucas Sims pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save in two chances this season.
The Cardinals — who didn’t land in Cincinnati until 3:45 a.m. Monday after beating the Chicago Cubs in a rain-delayed contest Sunday night in St. Louis — committed a pair of costly errors in the decisive second inning.
Returning from a two-week stint on the injured list due to a strained left groin, Lodolo (4-2) overcame a first-inning solo homer from Paul Goldschmidt to hold St. Louis to five hits, striking out three and walking none.
After allowing a leadoff single to Alec Burleson in the sixth, Lodolo managed to retire Goldschmidt on a high fly to center for his final batter faced. Lodolo needed just 69 pitches to get through five innings before Burleson and Goldschmidt worked him for 12 to open the sixth.
After Goldschmidt’s seventh homer of the season put the Cardinals up 1-0, Candelario evened the score with his sixth of the season, a line drive off Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (2-3) to the net above the visitors’ bullpen in right.
The Reds took advantage of two uncharacteristic errors from two of the most reliable fielders in the St. Louis infield to take the lead in the second.
Nolan Arenado booted a routine grounder off the bat of Nick Martini to open the inning. Jonathan India followed with a single. Will Benson then drove home Martini with a single to left for a 2-1 Cincinnati lead.
After Benson was caught stealing second, Jacob Hurtubise grounded a ball to first that took a bad hop over the glove of Goldschmidt at first for a two-base error that scored India for a 3-1 Reds advantage.
Lynn was charged with three runs — one earned — and five hits over six innings as the right-hander suffered just the fifth loss in 17 career decisions against Cincinnati.
St. Louis rookie shortstop Masyn Winn dumped a soft liner into center, just beyond the leaping India, with two outs in the third to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
–Field Level Media
