Once again, as they nearly always do, the Reds acted is if they were facing Adam Sandler or Adam Levine.
The Reds pounded Wainwright and the Cardinals, 9-5, Friday night in Great American Ball Park. Wainwright owns 190 major league wins, but few against the Reds.
His career record against the Reds is 12-and-17, the only team he has a losing record against of teams with more than one decision against him.
Wainwright was given an early 2-0 lead, but he couldn’t hold it while giving up seven runs, five hits, three walks and two home runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Wainwright’s biggest pains in his neck were No. 7 hitter Tyler Naquin and No. 8 hitter Donovan Solano.
Naquin produced a two-run single and a two-run triple to drive in four runs. Solano contributed a two-run home run and a sacrifice fly to drive in three runs.
In addition, Joey Votto and Jonathan India launched solo home runs.
The first game after the All-Star break took a huge negative step in the first inning. Catcher Tyler Stephenson took a foul tip off his right shoulder. He left the game, and a broken collarbone was diagnosed.
Reds starter Graham Ashcraft escaped a two-on, two-out situation in the first.
He was not so fortunate in the second as the Cardinals gave Wainwright a 2-0 lead.
Ashcraft filled the bases with two outs. It appeared he had Tommy Edman struck out on a 3-and-2 pitch, but umpire Ryan Additon called it ball four.
Tyler O’Neill dribbled a ground ball against the shift into right field, 77 miles per hour off the bat, for a two-run single.
Wainwright, though, couldn’t protect it as the Reds scored the next five runs.
They took a 4-2, in the second, a rally started when Wainwright issued a one-out walk to catcher Mike Papierski, hitting .147. Kyle Farmer doubled to put runners on third and second.
Naquin, 6 for 34 since coming off the injured list, blooped one the opposite way into left field, a two-run single. Solano drove a two-run home run into the left field seats.
Votto reached the left field seats with a home run with two outs in the third for a 5-2 lead.
Ashcraft, though, came up one out short of qualifying for a win when he couldn’t survive the fifth inning.
His trouble was issuing a full count walk to Tyler O’Neill leading off the inning after he had him 0-and-2. Paul Goldschmidt then lifted a cloud-invading home run into the upper deck in left field and the Reds lead dwindled to 5-4.
When Ashcraft gave up a two-out single to Dylan Carlson and his pitch-count reached 112, manager David Bell had to pull him.
Ashcraft’s line was 4 2/3 innings, four runs, seven hits, three walks and a career-best eight strikeouts.
The Reds put away Wainwright and put away the Cardinals with three runs in the sixth. He walked the first two hitters and was replaced by Jordan Hicks. Naquin tripled for two runs and Solano drove Naquin home with a sacrifice fly.
India greeted St. Louis relief pitcher Johan Oviedo in the seventh with a home run off the upper deck facade in left, extending his hitting streak to eight games, and pushing the Reds in front, 9-4.
The Cincinnati bullpen put the stopper on the Cardinals after Ashcraft left. Reiver Sanmartin came on in the fifth to get the last out of that inning.
Buck Farmer gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless sixth. Alex Diaz pitched a perfect seventh with a strikeout.
All game long, both teams barked and yelped at plate umpire Additon’s strike zone. It was evident somebody was destined for ejection. St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol was ejected during the top of the seventh.
Both Wainwright and Ashcraft expressed displeasure with Additon and when Wainwright was removed, he gave Additon a long dissertation as he trudged from the mound to the dugout.
The Cardinals scored a run in the eighth against Ian Gibaut, but he stranded two runners to leave the Reds in front, 9-5.
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