CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati's Dane Myers dropped a fly ball with two outs in the ninth, opening the flood gates in a six-run inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-9 win over the Reds.
The Reds held a 5-4 lead going into the ninth before things fell apart in the final inning. Masyn Winn and Jose Fermin scored on Myers' error, giving St. Louis a 6-5 lead. Alec Burleson's single drove in another run and a bases-loaded walk scored another to make
it 8-5. Fermin came up for the second time in the inning and singled home two more runs to make it 10-5.
But it was far from over.
Cincinnati's Eugenio Suárez singled home Matt McLain and Sal Stewart drove in two more runs to make it 10-8. St. Louis reliever Riley O'Brien walked Tyler Stephenson with the bases loaded and two outs, scoring Elly De La Cruz to make it a one-run game before Matt McLain lined out to end the wild back-and-forth contest.
McLain hit his second career grand slam to cap a five-run sixth inning and put Cincinnati up 5-4.
Jordan Walker hit a three-run home run and drove in another run on a ground out to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead. Walker’s 26th home run was his second home run in two games. He temporarily tied Stewart for the major league lead with 94 RBI before Stewart's single in the bottom of the ninth plated two, giving him 96 on the season.
Cardinals' starter Michael McGreevy was solid through five innings, but struggled in the sixth, giving up an RBI single and leaving the game with the bases loaded. Ryan Stanek (2-3) relieved McGreevy, giving up an RBI single to JJ Bleday and the grand slam to McLain to take the loss.
Peter Strzelecki (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win for St. Louis.
Suárez drove in the 1,000th run of his career.
The Cardinals won the series 3-2, moving to 2 1/2 games behind the last wild card spot. The Reds fell to seven games out of the wild card.
Cardinals: St. Louis kicks off a weekend series at Philadelphia on Friday. LHP Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. The Cardinals have not announced their starter.
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.52) takes the mound Friday as Cincinnati opens a weekend series at Arizona and LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (12-4, 2.71).
