With a sellout crowd moaning and groaning for six innings, the Reds came off the mat to score three times in the seventh off Wainwright to defeat the Cardinals 5-3.
Mat Latos was not able to continue the mastery with which he ended the first half of the season. He breezed through the first inning striking out Jon Jay and Matt Holiday but issued a walk to Carlos Beltran to start the second inning.
Latos called upon a pitcher's best friend by breaking the bat of Allen Craig which Zack Cozart turned into a 6-4-3 double play. Latos appeared to be home free but with boos ringing in his ears Yadier Molina doubled. The catcher, who was seen with Johnny Cueto in a serious discussion in Spanish before the game, fouled off tough pitches with two strikes before he doubled to left. Molina was a combatant in the famous brawl between these bitter rivals in 2008. Cueto, arguably in self-defense, kicked Jason LaRue and Chris Carpenter during the battle. (Carpenter will have season ending surgery for an unrelated injury).
Latos with the help of the steadying influence of Ryan Hanigan kept the damage to a minimum.
"Early in the season when I'd give up a run or two, it would lead to three or four. I like that when I left it was only 2-1," Latos said.
"Give credit to Hanny," Dusty Baker said. "He guided our pitching staff through some tough innings. Latos kept his cool. There were some close plays and some close calls."
David Freese worked a walk. Skip Schumaker singled sharply past a diving Brandon Phillips to score Molina.
The Reds' defense failed Latos an inning later.
All-Star, Rafael Furcal hit a bloop single. Jay singled. Matt Holiday hit a slow ground ball that Phillips fielded but the ball appeared to get stuck in his glove. Phillips made a belated flip to Cozart but the shortstop didn't expect the throw and everyone was safe. Beltran hit a ground ball to Joey Votto at first and they forced Holliday, but the relay to Latos covering was late and Furcal scored.
The Reds wasted a second inning leadoff double by Phillips, the first hit off Wainwright. Jay Bruce walked. Ryan Ludwick flied to center. Todd Frazier fouled out to first. Hanigan grounded to second.
Wainwright retired 10 straight before Frazier popped his 10th home run into the rightfield stands in the fifth.
The Reds took the lead in the seventh. Phillips singled up the middle to start it. Bruce belted a hard single to right. Ludwick laid down a sacrifice bunt. Frazier was put on base intentionally. This time Hanigan put the ball in play with a slow ground ball to Craig at first. His throw to Wainwright covering ended up in the photographers well and two runs scored on the play. Cozart drove in the insurance run with a deep fly to center.
"We work on bunting every day," Baker said. "Sooner or later everybody is going to be asked to do that. It was big."
Jose Arredondo came in to protect the lead and could have but the Reds failed to turn a double play again that would have ended the inning without the Cardinals scoring.
Beltran started the inning with a bloop single. Craig forced Beltran at second on a running throw by Scott Rolen, who drew a key walk in the seventh batting for Alfredo Simon. Rolen stayed in to play third. Freese hit a ground ball to Cozart but it appeared Phillips could not get the ball out of his glove again and the relay was too late to double up Freese.
Simon pitched two scoreless innings. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to pick up his first win as a Red.
"I told him (Simon) that his role could elevate based on how he did," Baker said.
Sean Marshall relieved and gave up a single past a diving Cozart to pinch hitter Shane Robinson.
Phillips singled for his third hit in the eighth. Ludwick tripled with two outs to put the Reds back on top 5-3.
Aroldis Chapman completed his 12th save in 16 tries by striking out Jay, Beltran and Craig around a shattered bat single by Holliday.
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