Lars Nootbaar hit a two-out double in the fourth inning to put the St. Louis Cardinals ahead, 4-3 and their bullpen made it stand up for the second win of the series which damaged the Reds playoff chances.
The Reds have 18 games left while Milwaukee has 20 left. Any combination of Brewers' wins and Reds' losses that add to 13 eliminate the Reds from the division lead. Cincinnati is now 2 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third wild card playoff spot.
"I'm so happy and so proud of our players for how they continue to play," David Bell said. "Not from the very beginning of the season did we ask for it to be easy, ever. The fact that we keep going, we're going to continue to play hard and we have a long, long way to go. We have an opportunity in front of us. It is still all about how we approach and how we play."
Helsley walked Christian Encarnacion-Strand to open the ninth. Tyler Stephenson hit a ground ball to shortstop. Stephenson beat the relay but the Cardinals challenged and Encarnacion-Strand was called for interference which made it a double play.
"I know it was a big call, a big play in the game," Bell said. "I'd rather just talk about the game. Once it goes to replay there's nothing you can do. As far as the letter of the law, I'm trusting that they got it right."
A pair of rookies squared off as mound opponents with the Reds' starter Carson Spiers, making his second start. Left hander Zach Thompson, who is from nearby Selma, Indiana and pitched at the University of Kentucky, started for the Cardinals.
Willson Contreras singled off Spiers with two outs after a walk to Lars Nootbaar and single by Nolan Gorman.
The Cardinals put the first two batters on against Spier in the second inning but a double play turned by Elly De La Cruz and Alejo Lopez preceded an inning ending diving stop by Lopez to keep St. Louis from scoring again/.
Lopez was here as an emergency call up because Stuart Fairchild was placed on the Covid Injured List this morning. As fate would have it, Noelvi Marte was injured playing catch with De La Cruz and suffered a facial contusion. It was after the lineups were exchanged and the Reds lost Marte for the game, even if he could play. Lopez replaced him in the lineup with Spencer Steer moving to third.
The Reds took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Nick Senzel singled off Thompson to open the inning. One out later, Tyler Stephenson doubled to the gap in right center to score Senzel. Lopez in his first big league at bat hit a run scoring double down the right field line. Former Cardinal Harrison Bader delivered Lopez with a single.
Spiers walked Nolan Arenado with two outs. Contreras followed by lining his 18th home run to center, his second home run of the series to tie the score.
Nootbaar hit an RBI double over left fielder, Senzel's head to score Masyn Winn in the fourth. The Reds brought Sam Moll into the game after a lead off single by Tommy Edman, who was forced a second on a diving stop by Lopez again. The Cardinals left the bases loaded when Arenado popped out to De La Cruz at short.
Home Plate umpire, Brennan Miller, ejected both David Bell and Lopez for arguing strike calls in the scoreless bottom of the fourth.
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