Early runs all Reds need to take down Cards at home

Rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, tops in seniority in the Reds' young rotation, pitched like a veteran Tuesday night.

DeSclafani went six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 before a crowd of 25,969 at Great American Ball Park. He struck out a career-high nine and walked none.

“I was locating better,” DeSclafani said. “I had them guessing a little bit.”

Box score: Reds 3, Cardinals 2

Burke Badenhop, J.J. Hoover and Aroldis Chapman (23rd save) finished things up for the Reds. But the game-saver was Billy Hamilton, who robbed Jason Heyward of extra bases to start the eighth with an unbelievably spectacular catch.

“The ball was flying tonight,” Hamilton said. “That scared me a little bit. That would have been at least a triple, because Heyward can run.”

It was also a chance for Hamilton to show his speed – and his hops.

“They said I was flying like Superman,” he said. “Until you watch it, you don’t know how good it is. I haven't seen it yet.”

The Reds have won three straight against the Cardinals after losing six in a row.

“I kind of take the Cardinals out the equation and look at our team,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We lost two really good starting pitchers. We’ve made a commitment to look to the future with our pitching.

“It says a lot about our players and their desire to play hard every day. That’s one thing that’s been a focus.”

Tuesday night also served as a rematch of the game a week ago in St. Louis. DeSclafani beat veteran right-hander John Lackey 1-0 in that one.

The Reds rookie righty went seven innings in that one. Tuesday, he needed 93 pitches to get through six.

“I didn’t do anything different,” DeSclafani said. “Attacking hitters, fill up the strike zone. (Catcher Brayan) Pena called a great game. We played great defense. I had the fastball, slider working. Mostly two-seamers today.”

Price agreed.

“He had the same approach,” Price said. “Attack the zone with good stuff. When these guys pitch good games, it’s not because they execute every pitch. It’s because they go out there with good intent ... It’s more attitude than anything else. He attacks every team as if they’re the same.”

Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto started the home first with back-to-back singles. That equaled the Reds’ total hit output the last time they faced Lackey in St. Louis.

After Todd Frazier hit into a 5-4-3 double play, Jay Bruce got Phillips in with a double into the left corner. Each of Bruce’s last five hits have been doubles.

Marlon Byrd made it 2-0 with a double off the wall in right-center. Pena worked a walk. Eugenio Suarez singled to get Byrd in and push the score to 3-0.

The Reds threatened in the second inning as well: Phillips reached on an infield single with one out, and Votto followed with a walk. Phillips then stole third, his 15th steal of year (he stole only two last year).

But Frazier – hitting .206 since June 26 – took a called third strike, and then Bruce grounded out.

Randal Grichuk led off the St. Louis third with a drive to the wall in center. Hamilton made a great effort at a leaping catch, but the ball went off the wall for a triple.

DeSclafani struck out Lackey, but Matt Carpenter crushed a 1-2, 93 mph fastball to right-center for his 14th home run of the year. That made it a 3-2 game.

“I wanted that one pitch back,” DeSclafani said.

Lackey got on a roll after the second. He retired the last 14 he faced.

Badenhop took over for DeSclafani and gave up a pair of hits in the seventh but escaped without damage.

Hoover came on to pitch the eighth. Heyward led off with a liner to center, but Hamilton ran it down and made that leaping over-the-shoulder catch. He came crashing down on the warning track but held on.

Chapman struck out two on his way to the save. It was his record 56th straight save conversion at home. Chapman has not allowed a run over his last 23 appearances against the Cardinals.

“I know he loves pitching here,” Price said. “He loves making that jog in from center field. He feeds off the adrenaline. That’s what happens with closers.”