St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cardinals' magic number is down to 1 after St. Louis slugged three home runs in an 8-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Tony Cruz and Kolten Wong hit early homers to give Michael Wacha a 5-0 cushion, and Randal Grichuk homered for the second straight day later in the contest to help the NL Central leaders pull away.
Wacha gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings in his first start since Sept. 9 and third since spending nearly three months on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Jason Motte (1-0) finished the fifth inning to pick up the win.
The Cardinals can clinch a playoff spot with a win in tomorrow's series finale or a Milaukee loss.
Zack Cozart went deep and Kris Negron doubled twice for the Reds, who lost their sixth straight game. Mike Leake (11-13) was the latest victim after getting roughed up for six runs -- five earned -- in five innings.
After Leake faced the minimum in the first inning, he unraveled in the second. Jhonny Peralta led off with a single and Leake was temporarily out of trouble when Oscar Taveras grounded into a double play. Yadier Molina kept the inning alive with a double to right, Daniel Descalso walked and Cruz lifted a three- run homer to left field.
Jon Jay was hit by a pitch to start the home third, and Wong followed with a shot to right to make it 5-0. Leake had the count 0-2, but left a fastball over the plate to the second baseman, who hit his 12th of the season.
Cincinnati began chipping away, with Brandon Phillips driving in a run with an RBI single in the fourth and Negron doubling home Cozart in the fifth.
The Cards kept their foot on the gas, however, with Wong drawing a two-out walk in the fifth inning and scoring when Matt Holliday's single to right trickled past Jay Bruce all the way to the wall.
Bruce hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth and Grichuk answered, crushing a no-doubter to left-center.
Cozart made it 7-4 with his solo shot an inning later but again St. Louis answered. Peralta replaced Wong on base after a fielder's choice, stole second and easily scored when Grichuk's bloop to right-center confused the Reds and landed between a trio of fielders.
Game Notes
St. Louis starters had allowed one earned run or less in eight straight starts ... Leake fell to 2-2 against the Cardinals this season ... The Reds have dropped 17 of 19 on the road.
