CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched six sparkling innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.
Martinez (1-3) allowed one run and five hits in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Graham Ashcraft and Tony Santillan each got three outs before Emilio Pagán finished the five-hitter for his eighth save.
Jose Trevino homered for Cincinnati, and Noelvi Marte drove in the go-ahead run with his first career triple.
Reds star Elly De La Cruz doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, and Gavin Lux collected three hits, including two doubles, to run his hitting streak to a career-best 12.
St. Louis right-hander Andre Pallante (2-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
Lars Nootbaar doubled and scored on Nolan Arenado’s two-out double in the first against Martinez. But the Reds tied it when Trevino hit a leadoff drive in the third for his second homer. Lux singled and scored on Marte’s triple in the fourth, and Lux doubled home Austin Hays in the sixth.
Cincinnati’s Matt McLain singled in the seventh to end a career-worst 0-for-21 slump.