CINCINNATI (AP) - The Reds can’t even score a run off Adam Wainwright, a pitcher they pummeled last season. And two months of wasted chances overall are starting to get under their skin.
Wainwright became the National League’s first eight-game winner by dominating Cincinnati again, and the St. Louis Cardinals pulled away to a 4-0 victory Sunday night that completed another successful series against their division rival.
The Cardinals are 6-3 against the Reds this season. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 series together.
The problem for Cincinnati all season has been an injury-depleted offense that keeps wasting chances.
“We can’t talk about injuries anymore,” manager Bryan Price said. “We’re almost completely healthy. I do know these guys can hit, can produce runs. I know that baseball’s a game of frustration. I get that.
“I have no idea what the lineup is going to look like tomorrow. It may look different.”
While the third-place Reds slid to 6 1-2 games out, St. Louis has won nine of its last 11 games and moved to within 1 1-2 games of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Wainwright (8-2) beat Johnny Cueto and the Reds on opening day in Cincinnati, allowing only three hits during seven innings of a 1-0 victory. On Sunday, the right-hander gave up five hits in eight innings and matched his career high with 12 strikeouts.
He set the tone by striking out five of the first six batters on a total of 24 pitches. He got Brandon Phillips on three pitches that clocked 73, 91 and 93 mph.
Last year, the Reds won three of their four games against Wainwright, hitting him hard. It has been the total opposite this time around, with Wainwright using both sides of the plate and deftly changing speeds on his pitches.
“He doesn’t give you anything over the center of the plate to drive,” shortstop Zack Cozart said. “He might give you something you can single on, but he’s like Johnny Cueto. He works the corners, and when he’s behind in the count, he has a knack for hitting the corners.”
Tony Cruz and Kolten Wong each had a pair of singles and drove in a run off Mike Leake (2-4). Wong also stole a pair of bases.
The game drew 42,273 fans, the Reds’ third sellout crowd of the season. All three sellouts have come against the Cardinals.
Leake went six innings and continued his streak of solid pitching. The right-hander hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his last five starts, giving up a total of eight earned runs.
“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing,” Leake said. “I can’t control that stuff. I’ve just got to keep plugging away.”
With Wainwright on his game again, it was two runs too much. Wainwright, the NL’s Cy Young runner-up last season, lowered his ERA to 1.67. In his last two starts, he has given up only six hits and no runs in 17 innings.
Cruz led off the third inning with a single and advanced on Wainwright’s sacrifice bunt. Wong singled up the middle with two outs for a run.
Matt Adams singled, Allen Craig walked and Cruz singled home a run with two outs in the sixth. The Cardinals added a pair of runs in the seventh with the help of two errors by the Reds, who lead the majors in fielding percentage.
Wainwright pitched out of Cincinnati’s best threat in the fifth, when the Reds got runners to second and third with two outs. He got Billy Hamilton on a called third strike to end the inning.
Hamilton struck out four times against Wainwright on opening day and three more times Sunday, leaving him 0 for 7 with seven strikeouts and a walk off the right-hander.
NOTES: The Cardinals return home for an afternoon game against the Yankees on Monday, with Michael Wacha (3-3) facing Chase Whitley (0-1). The Reds fly to Los Angeles for an evening game against the Dodgers, sending Cueto (4-3) against Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-2). … Wong extended his hitting streak to seven games. … C Yadier Molina got a day of rest. … RHP Mat Latos made his first rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, allowing three hits and two runs in four innings. The Reds want him to make at least two more starts in the minors. … RF Jay Bruce went 1 for 12 with seven strikeouts during the series, which marked his return from torn knee cartilage.
___
Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjoekay
Please read our comment policy before commenting.