Cardinals fire Matheny after loss to Reds

Reds 8, Cardinals 2

ST. LOUIS — What do you do during 163 minutes of rain delays?

Presumably, the Reds found their bats Saturday night.

Limited to two singles before the second delay, the Reds came out smoking when play resumed, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2.

“That was a long day,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “But when you win those kinds of ballgames, you don’t care how long it is.”

Following the game, the Cardinals fired manager Mike Matheny, a Reynoldsburg native.

The Reds scored one in the sixth, four in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth.

The only downer on the night: Scott Schebler had to leave the game after running into the wall in right field making a run-saving catch. He appeared to hurt his right (throwing) shoulder. X-rays were negative.

Right-hander Luis Castillo went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked none and struck out two.

Kyle Crockett, Austin Brice, David Hernandez, Amir Garrett and Michael Lorenzen shut the Cardinals out during the final four innings.

Jose Peraza had a career-high five hits. Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett each had two hits and two RBI.

The Reds are 21-9 their last 30 games.

“We’re playing really good baseball right now,” Peraza said. “Everybody’s doing something. That’s what everybody wants — win the game, play hard.”

Castillo escaped a major jam in the fifth and the Reds trailing 2-0. Dexter Fowler led off with a single. He would have scored easily on Paul DeJong’s drive to left, but the ball bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double.

Tommy Pham grounded one to Eugenio Suarez at third. He tagged Fowler, who came off the bag a step too far and then threw to first to double up Pham.

“That was a heck of a play,” Riggleman said. “We talk about Eugenio Suarez as being a great third baseman and that was an example of it. Not only does he make the play on Fowler, but he has the arm strength to turn and throw. A lot of guys wouldn’t even make that throw because they don’t feel like they have the arm strength to get it over there, and he did.”

Castillo then got pitcher Jack Flaherty to line out before the second delay lasted 1:52.