ST. LOUIS (AP) Kolten Wong and Paul DeJong homered, Mike Mikolas tossed seven strong innings and the St. Louis Cardinals completed their second sweep of the woeful Cincinnati Reds this season with a 9-2 victory on Sunday.
The Cardinals have won eight of nine overall and 11 in a row over the Reds.
Cincinnati, which has lost five in a row and 13 of 14, has the worst record in the majors at 3-18. The Reds are 0-3 – all against the Cardinals – since firing manager Bryan Price and replacing him with Jim Riggleman.
St. Louis took four games last week in Cincinnati. The Cardinals’ 11-game winning streak over the Reds is their longest since winning 11 straight in 1949.
Wong hit a solo homer in the second inning. DeJong added a three-run shot in the seventh. DeJong is tied for second in the NL with seven home runs.
Mikolas (3-0) gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. He was signed as a free agent on Dec. 5 after spending three seasons in the Japanese Central League.
Wong’s homer came off Luis Castillo (1-3), who allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked four.
The Cardinals added two runs in the third on a run-scoring hit by Dexter Fowler, who reached base five times, and Tyler O’Neill’s sacrifice fly. It was O’Neill’s first major league RBI.
DeJong pushed the lead to 6-2 with his homer in the seventh off Kevin Quackenbush.
The Reds scored twice in the sixth. Joey Votto’s RBI infield single trimmed the deficit to 3-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RHP David Hernandez will likely make his second rehab appearance on Monday for Triple-A Louisville. Hernandez has been bothered by right shoulder inflammation.
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday with right elbow inflammation. RHP John Brebbia was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Brebbia made two appearances earlier in the season and did not allow a run in two innings. … OF Tommy Pham missed his third game in four days with a right groin strain. He is day-to-day.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Sal Romero (0-2, 5.75 ERA) will face RHP Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 2.91) on Monday in the first of a four-game home series against Atlanta. Romero will be making his fifth start of the season.
Cardinals: St. Louis is undecided on a starter for Tuesday’s game against the Mets because of Wainwright’s injury. RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 2.77) will start the first of the three-game series for the Mets.
—
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
25% Bonus via Western Union
