Rookie’s grand slam powers St. Louis past Cincinnati 7-4
Tommy Edman CINCINNATI — expected to see a breaking ball on the first pitch of his sixth-inning at-bat, and he didn’t waste it.
The St. Louis rookie snapped a tie with his first career grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Thursday night for their fifth win in six games.
All-Star Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Edman broke it open an inning later with a slam against Robert Stephenson’s slider.
“I figured Stephenson would try to spin me,” Edman said. “I’d watched how he’d pitched to the other batters. He left one out over the plate.”
The slam came one pitch after the Reds just missed what would have been an inning-ending double play. Stephenson retired pinch-hitter Yairo Munoz on a bases-loaded fly to right fielder Yasiel Puig, and Puig’s throw home kept Matt Wieters at third. Catcher Juan Graterol’s throw to first almost caught Kolten Wong off the bag, but Wong got his hand to the base a split-second before Joey Votto’s tag. Votto had to scramble back to the bag from his cutoff position.
“Kolten got out there a little bit, but he could afford to do that based on where (Votto) was,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said.
Stephenson (2-2) allowed four hits and five runs while getting just two outs
“Robert was throwing strikes for the most part,” manager David Bell said. “Robert’s been pitching well. I would use him again in that spot. We don’t want to rely on the same guys, and Robert has elite stuff.”
Eugenio Suarez hit a solo home run in the first inning and added a sacrifice fly in Cincinnati’s two-run third as the Reds built a 3-0 lead.
DeJong got St. Louis on the board in the fifth with his first homer since June 16 and 14th this season.
“That was a big swing,” Shildt said. “We needed it. He needed it. It swung the momentum back to us.”
Edman’s blow gave Dakota Hudson the win. Hudson (9-4) gave up six hits and three runs with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings. He’s 7-1 over his last 11 starts. Hudson also hit a batter.
Roark sparked their tworun third with a leadoff double. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs with two walks, a hit batter and six strikeouts — three of Paul Goldschmidt, including to end the fifth with runners on first and third with two outs.
The Reds are 2-5 since the All-Star break and dropped eight games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs
Birthday bash
Suarez celebrated his 28th birthday with his third first-inning home run in Cincinnati’s last four games and major league-leading ninth first-inning homer of the season. Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich and Baltimore’s Trey Mancini each have eight.
Up next
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright’s (6-7) 5.01 ERA in 30 career appearances against Cincinnati is his highest against any NL opponent.
Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle (2-10) set career highs by allowing 12 hits and 10 runs over 4⅓ innings in his last start Sunday at Colorado.