Recap: Cincinnati vs. St. Louis
Sports Network | September 18, 2008
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Albert Pujols launched a three-run homer to help the Cardinals snap a debilitating seven-game skid, as St. Louis came away with a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a three-game set.
Kyle Lohse (14-6), coming back from a five-game suspension following an incident against the Reds on August 17, beat his former team with a solid 6 2/3-inning start, yielding three runs -- two earned -- on six hits.
Adam Kennedy and Felipe Lopez each contributed an RBI for the Cardinals, who are just 5-10 in September.
Edinson Volquez (16-6) lost for the first time since August 5, allowing four runs on three hits and six walks with five strikeouts in seven innings for the Reds, who had won four straight. Adam Rosales was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the loss.
Chris Perez came out of the bullpen to hold a 5-3 lead for St. Louis in the ninth, but walks to Corey Patterson and pinch-hitter Javier Valentin, sandwiched around a pair of outs, brought the tying run to the plate.
After Jerry Hairston's RBI single, Jason Motte was called in from the bullpen and managed to get Jeff Keppinger to fly out and end the game for his first career save.
The Reds plated the game's first run in the second when Rosales singled home Jolbert Cabrera, who reached base on Cesar Izturis' throwing error.
In the third, Volquez walked a pair in front of Pujols, who sent an opposite- field laser over the right-center field wall for a 3-1 Cardinals lead.
The Reds got a run back on Keppinger's RBI double in the bottom half, but Lopez singled in a run in the away fifth to push the lead back to two runs.
Cabrera made it a 4-3 game in the home sixth with an RBI single, but Cincy failed to get a runner home from third in the seventh, as Russ Springer induced an inning-ending infield pop out from Keppinger.
The Cards then added a much-needed insurance run in the eighth on consecutive two-out doubles by Troy Glaus and Kennedy.
Pujols now has 34 home runs and 104 RBI in yet another possible NL MVP campaign...Reds rookie Joey Votto had two doubles...Lohse was 2-4 in 11 previous starts...Volquez is 8-3 in 16 home starts this season...St. Louis has won seven of 12 matchups with the Reds this season...Starting Friday, Cincinnati will host the playoff-contending Brewers for three games, while St. Louis travels to Chicago for three games with the NL Central-leading Cubs.
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