Sonny Gray: Reds need to fight to end and see what happens

Gray pitched five scoreless innings Thursday in a 2-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. In three August starts, he has pitched 18 scoreless innings and allowed seven hits. He also has won his last six starts at Great American Ball Park.

Gray helped the Reds (57-63) stop a four-game losing streak. They gained a game on the first-place Cardinals (63-56) and Chicago Cubs (64-57) and face a 6½-game deficit with six-plus weeks left in the season.

"We need to play good baseball," Gray said. "For us to look at the standings, it's kind of irrelevant at this point. It's just important for us to try to truly get better and invest in one another and just see what happens. Just have fun and play the game. No matter how far back you are or where you are at in the standings, it's always fun to win, and winning can be contagious. It's important we continue to show up and fight to the end and see what happens."

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Gray lasted only five innings because he had thrown 97 pitches. He struck out 10, walked three and hit a batter. His scoreless streak is the longest by a Red since Jared Hughes threw 19 2/3 straight scoreless innings last season in relief. Gray has lowered his ERA from 3.45 to 2.98 in his last three starts, and he has a 1.59 ERA in his last nine starts.

Gray became the first Reds starter to produce three straight scoreless starts in the same season since Tom Browning in 1989.

"He was great, and he left it all out there," Reds manager David Bell said. "He worked hard against good hitters and shut them down. It took everything he had, and that's what we want. It's fun to watch. He competed and gave us a great start."

Relievers Robert Stephenson, Michael Lorenzen and Raisel Iglesias followed Gray. The four pitches combined on a two-hitter. The Reds haven't had a one-hit win since 2013.

Dexter Fowler recorded the only hit against Gray with two outs in the fifth. The Cardinals didn't get another hit until there were two outs in the ninth. A double by Kolten Wong scored Marcell Ozuna and broke up the shutout.

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Stephenson, who pitched a perfect sixth inning, has a 0.87 ERA in his last nine appearances and has lowered his ERA from 5.35 to 4.41.

"He's pitching well," Bell said. "He's gaining confidence. He's earned pitching in situations like that. It's nice to see because we need guys to step up and he has. If we didn't hit for him there (in the sixth), he was going to go back out for the seventh."

The Reds took the lead in the fifth. Jose Iglesias scored from third on a fielder’s choice groundout by Nick Senzel. A two-out single by Eugenio Suarez scored Senzel.

NOTES: Joey Votto was a late scratch from the lineup because of lower back tightness. Josh VanMeter started at first base. ... The Reds will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Friday to announce their plans for honoring broadcaster Marty Brennaman, who's retiring at the end of the season.