Duvall’s breakout powers struggling Reds
ST. LOUIS — Adam Duvall is not about to reveal his secret.
The slumping Cincinnati outfielder hit three doubles and a single on Sunday, helping the Reds to a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Duvall began the day in a 4-for-35 skid. He spent several hours working in the indoor batting cage after Saturday’s game was postponed by rain and discovered a flaw.
“Let’s just say I corrected it,” Duvall said. “I can’t talk about it, or give details.
“But, I was seeing the ball great today.”
Duvall tied a career high with four hits and raised his batting average 33 points to .247.
“He had a huge day,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “There is always that feeling, even in the times when he’s struggling, that the next day he’s going to come in and bust out and do some damage. He just doesn’t concede to the struggles.”
Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning for the Reds, who had lost eight of their previous nine games.
Votto’s bases-loaded single came off Trevor Rosenthal (0-1). Votto had been 0 for 5 with three strikeouts against the hard-throwing reliever.
“We’ve just got to continue to chug along and get better,” Votto said. “Games like this are how you set a tone.”
Wandy Peralta (1-0) picked up the win by tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Closer Raisel Iglesias threw two innings to record
his fourth save in as many chances. It was his second two-inning save of the season.
Duvall, Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler drove in runs in the three-run seventh to tie the score.
Devin Mesoraco’s single was sandwiched between walks to Tucker Barnhart and Billy Hamilton to load the bases against Rosenthal in the eighth. Votto followed with a two-strike single up the middle.
“We never stopping fighting,” Duvall said. “It was a satisfying win.”
St. Louis starter Mike Leake gave up one run on eight hits over seven innings. He is 0-3 against his former team in six career starts.