For the second time in 2017, Reds starting pitcher Scott Feldman made disposing of the Cardinals look pretty easy. The struggling St. Louis lineup was blanked by Feldman for seven innings as Cincinnati rolled to a 5-2 victory on Thursday at Great American Ball Park to complete a four-game series sweep. Joey Votto led the way at the plate with a 4-for-4 game that included a two-run home run.
Feldman allowed four hits — all singles — with no walks and four strikeouts as he pitched seven innings for the first time in five starts since May 12. Over his two outings against the Cardinals this year, the right-hander has worked 13 scoreless innings with eight hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts.
“Usually the name of the game always comes down to command,” said Feldman, who had just two balls hit into the outfield over his first four innings. “It was better today than it had the previous two times, and hopefully just keep it going in that direction.”
Cardinals starter Mike Leake was done after five innings with three runs (two earned), 10 hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Votto and Adam Duvall went a combined 6-for-6 against Leake, who gave up three runs in the fifth. Following Votto’s one-out single, Duvall drove him in with an RBI double to the wall in left-center field. Scott Schebler was hit by a pitch and Scooter Gennett added an RBI single lined to right field. When Gennett stole second base, catcher Yadier Molina’s errant throw into center field scored Schebler for a 3-0 Reds lead.
“I thought I had some pretty decent stuff,” said Leake, who’s now dropped his last three starts. “They were putting the ball in play, not getting deep in the count, finding some holes here and there. But not being able to make the pitch when I needed to was big today.”
Votto’s two-run homer against Tyler Lyons in the sixth inning doomed the Cardinals to an 0-7 road trip and their first four-game sweep at the hands of the Reds since 2003. Cincinnati outscored St. Louis, 28-9, during the series, the most runs they’ve scored vs. the Cardinals in a four-game series since plating 30 from July 24-27, 1970. The Cardinals’ seven-game losing streak is their longest since 2013.
“In the long run, we’re going to snap out of this,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of his team’s current funk. “It’s just hard finding what that key is, and we each, individually, have to put our head down and ignore any of the distractions that are getting us from where we need to be.”
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning when Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer to left field against reliever Austin Brice. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 12 attempts, and extended his scoreless streak to 19 appearances and 20 consecutive innings as the Reds completed a 5-2 homestand.
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