Reds Beat Cardinals I Repeat Reds Beat Cardinals

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They say if you attend enough baseball games you'll see something you've never seen before.

Reds fans got to witness a rare win over its arch rival St. Louis Cardinals, 9-5

Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run home run off Michael Wacha in the first inning. 

"I had never faced him before," Mesoraco said. "He put me in a hole. Then threw me some tough pitches out of the zone that I was able to lay off.  He left a 3-2 curve down the middle."

"Devin has given us quality at bats," Bryan Price said.  "He has had a good year.  Even with two stints on the disabled list.  He's struggled at times but has always come back."

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Arch villain Yadier Molina cut the lead in half with a sacrifice fly off Reds starter Mike Leake but Leake got the run back.  He followed Zack Cozart's two-out triple with a double to maintain a two-run cushion.

The Reds added on in the fifth.  Brayan Pena drew one of his three walks to start the inning against Wacha.  Todd Frazier hit a grounder to Kolten Wong at second.  Pena evaded the tag and Wong dropped the ball. Mesoraco doubled in Pena.  Brandon Phillips greeted reliever Jason Mott with a two-run double.  Ryan Ludwick singled to drive in Phillips.

The Reds had to know the Cardinals weren't going down this easy.

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Oscar Taveras doubled.  Wong reached and Taveras went to third when Hamilton barely missed a diving catch in centerfield.  Jumbo Diaz relieved Leake. Tony Cruz singled to score Taveras.  Hamilton made a running catch on Matt Carpenters fly. Jon Jay and Matt Holliday singled to make the score 7-4.  Matt Adams flied to shallow center. Jhonny Peralta walked to load the bases.  Pena saved the day with a diving stab of A.J. Pierziynski's bid for a two-run single.

"There were a couple od game changers," Price said. "There were some good hitters coming up with runners on second and third but Mike got two strike outs to get out of the inning.  Then Pena's play on Pierzynski.  If that ball gets down the line, it's a different game."

Leake struck out Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina with two men in scoring position.
"I had to bear down right there," Leake said. "It is fun to beat these guys they are always a challenge. The have a good approach.  They stay in their zone and never come out of it.  They foul off a lot of good pitches until they get one they can hit."

The Reds scored two more against Sam Tuivailala making his Major League debut.  Pena singled. Mesoraco walked. Jason Bourgeois singled to load the bases and Chris Heisey hit a two-run single.

J.J. Hoover allowed an unearned run on Xavier Scruggs first Major League hit, a double in the ninth.

Aroldis Chapman was summoned to pitch to Mark Ellis with two outs and two on in the ninth.  Champan struck him out on 11 pitches.  Chapman earned his 31st save because the tying run was on deck when he entered the game.

:"We stayed resilient because we had to," Price said.