Blake Dunn’s infield grounder drove in the winning run in the 11th inning to help the Cincinnati Reds defeat the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday and earn a split of their doubleheader.
St. Louis won the first game 8-1 and rallied to score twice in the ninth inning to force extra innings in the nightcap.
In the 11th, with runners on the corners and one out, Dunn looped a ball behind the bag. Shortstop Masyn Winn fielded and threw home, but he was unable to get a sliding Spencer Steer.
Pierce Johnson (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win. Riley O’Brien (3-2) was the loser.
The Cardinals opened the scoring in the second inning on Wynn’s sacrifice fly that scored Jordan Walker, who led off the inning with a walk.
Cincinnati scored five times in the fifth with Elly De La Cruz and Nathaniel Lowe both going deep. De La Cruz had been 1-for-17 and had struck out in his first two at-bats. But with runners on the corners, he hit a fastball from Leahy into the seats in left-center field for his 12th homer.
After Sal Stewart drew a walk on a successful ABS challenge, Lowe hit a towering 435-foot homer to center field. It was the eighth home run for Lowe, who also went deep in the first game.
The Reds recalled Chase Petty from Triple-A Louisville to make the start. He surrendered a 427-foot three-run homer to Walker, his 15th. Walker also homered in the first game. Petty allowed four runs on six hits and one walk, striking out one, in five innings.
The Reds added a run in the sixth off Justin Bruihl for a 6-4 lead. Steer doubled and scored on a double by Dane Myers.
The Cardinals rallied for two runs the ninth to tie the game against closer Tony Santillan. He gave up a pinch-hit solo homer to Jose Fermin and a pair of walks to set up Walker’s run-scoring single.
Leahy pitched five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out a career-high eight.
