CINCINNATI (AP) — Yasiel Puig hit a game-tying double to end Miles Mikolas' shutout bid, Josh VanMeter followed with his first major league home run and the Cincinnati Reds snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
VanMeter and Eugenio Suarez each had two hits for the Reds, who are in last place in the NL Central, a season-high nine games behind first place Chicago.
Suarez led off the seventh with a single and scored from first on a double into the left-center field gap by Puig. Two pitches later, VanMeter hit a two-run homer into the Cincinnati bullpen down the right field line.
Mikolas (6-10) allowed six hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts. He also hit a batter.
Amir Garrett (4-1) pitched a perfect seventh in his first appearance since July 2 after coming off the disabled list on Saturday.
Matt Wieters led off the sixth with his seventh homer of the season for the Cardinals, who had won three straight and six of seven to move into second place in the division. Harrison Bader scored from third on Jose Martinez's groundout against Michael Lorenzen in the eighth.
Lorenzen stayed in the game and earned his sixth save.
One day after St. Louis overpowered Cincinnati in a 12-11, nine-inning slugfest, Mikolas and All-Star Luis Castillo hooked up in a pitcher's duel through six innings.
The teams turned a combined five double plays through the first five innings while moving just one runner into scoring position.
Castillo left for a pinch-hitter after six innings. He limited St. Louis to five hits and one run with a walk and five strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: The Reds hope RHP Tyler Mahle can make his next start on Wednesday at Milwaukee after his hamstring tightened on his last pitch Saturday.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (4-6) allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings of St. Louis's 5-2 win on April 28 at Busch Stadium.
Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (5-4) is 3-1 with a 3.32 earned-run average over his last seven starts.
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