ST. LOUIS — Sunday’s Game Report: Reds 7, Cardinals 6
For the second day in a row, the Cardinals hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning on Sunday, but this time it did not result in a party at home plate.
The homer from Juan Yepez came with the Cardinals losing by three runs to the Reds instead of being down by one, as they were on Saturday, when Tommy Edman’s homer won the game.
Yepez’s homer came after Brendan Donovan drew a two-out walk after falling behind 0-2 in the count. It did get the tying run to the plate, represented by Albert Pujols, but he struck out to end the game.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals built an early 3-0 lead, with Edman scoring on a wild pitch in the first and Nolan Arenado hitting a two-run homer in the third, his 11th of the season … After the Reds tied the game and then took the lead, the Cardinals tied the game at 4 on an RBI double by Pujols in the fifth, but then left five more runners on base before Yepez connected for his fifth homer of the season … Yepez also had a pair of singles as he played first base, with Paul Goldschmidt getting the day off … The Cardinals were just 3-of-13 with runners in scoring position, one of the hits coming on the Yepez homer, as they left 10 runners on base.
On the mound: Dakota Hudson allowed six runs over seven innings, but the winning run turned out to be a home run hit by former Cardinal Tommy Pham off Johan Oviedo in the eighth … Hudson got a double play in each of the first four innings, but got in trouble in the fourth, giving up three runs, when he allowed a single, walked two and hit a batter and then gave up a two-out single … Hudson allowed another run in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Key stat: The Reds had not homered in the first five games against the Cardinals this season, plus seven innings on Sunday, before Pham’s blast. The drought covered 52 innings.
Worth noting: The last Cardinal pitcher to get four grounded into double plays in the first four innings of a game was Danny Jackson on May 17, 1995 at San Diego … Andrew Knizner was 0-of-3, striking out twice, and is now 1-of-28 in his last nine games … Paul DeJong homered again on Sunday in Memphis, giving him seven homers in his last 11 games … Matthew Liberatore will be recalled from Memphis to start one of the games of the doubleheader on Tuesday against the Pirates.
Looking ahead: Rookie Zack Thompson will make the first start of his career, and second appearance, on Monday night in the opener of the three-game series against the Pirates.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
