CINCINNATI (AP) — Eugenio Suarez had never ended a game with a hit. When his grounder made it through the infield, he raised both arms in celebration.

Suarez singled up the middle with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals were hoping to start a final-month surge toward the playoffs — they’re in position to get the NL’s second wild-card berth behind San Francisco. Instead, the Reds snapped a four-game losing streak.

Seung Hwan Oh (4-3) walked Zack Cozart on four pitches to open the ninth, and Brandon Phillips followed with a single. After Scott Schebler singled one out later to load the bases, Suarez got his first career game-ending hit.

“I knew this opportunity would come,” Suarez said. “I tried to make it game over. I was just trying to hit a ball up the middle. I got the opportunity and didn’t try to do too much. I hit it good.”

The Reds had loaded the bases in the seventh and eighth and failed to score. Raisel Iglesias (1-1) gave up a walk in the ninth.

Yadier Molina and Randal Grichuk connected for an early lead off Anthony DeSclafani, who has been tough against St. Louis during his career. The right-hander is 3-1 in six starts against the Cardinals with a 2.25 ERA.

“I don’t think I threw the ball that good,” DeSclafani said. “I got away with a lot early. A lot of balls were hit at guys. It could’ve gotten ugly early.”

Molina led the Cardinals with a .347 batting average in August and had 32 hits, his most in any month since May 2015. He connected in the second inning for his sixth homer.

Grichuk led off the fifth inning with his 20th homer, extending his big week. He had a game-tying homer and a game-winning single earlier in the week.

The Reds tied it in the sixth against Alex Reyes, who made his second major league start. Cozart singled, ending his 0-for-17 skid. Phillips followed with a double that ricocheted off third base. Adam Duvall’s sacrifice fly and Schebler’s single made it 2-2.

DIFFERENT LOOK

The Reds wore their special camouflage jerseys as part of a night honoring the military.

TAKE THREE

Billy Hamilton stole three bases — the first two off Reyes’ move to the plate — leaving him 23 for 25 career in steal attempts against Molina. It’s the most steals by any runner against the eight-time Gold Glove catcher. Hamilton leads the majors with 57 steals.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Joey Votto was out of the lineup with a stiff neck. Ivan De Jesus Jr. started at first base.

FRIDAY’S GAME

Reds 3, Cardinals 2

St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Carpenter 1b-2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .282

Gyorko ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .243

Moss lf-1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .258

Piscotty rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .273

Molina c 4 1 1 1 0 0 .289

Peralta 3b 2 0 0 0 2 0 .245

Oh p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Grichuk cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .230

Garcia 2b-3b 3 0 3 0 0 0 .271

Reyes p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000

a-Adams ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .248

Duke p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Bowman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Siegrist p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Pham lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234

Totals 31 2 6 2 2 4

 

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Hamilton cf 4 0 2 0 1 2 .259

Cozart ss 2 2 1 0 3 1 .259

Phillips 2b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .283

Duvall lf 4 0 0 1 0 2 .246

Schebler rf 5 0 3 1 0 0 .241

Suarez 3b 4 0 2 1 1 1 .249

Barnhart c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .257

De Jesus 1b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .233

DeSclafani p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .121

b-Holt ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .213

Lorenzen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250

c-Peraza ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .318

Iglesias p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .091

Totals 33 3 11 3 7 10

 

St. Louis 010 010 000 = 2 6 1

Cincinnati 000 002 001 = 3 11 0

 

One out when winning run scored.

a-grounded out for Reyes in the 7th. b-out on sacrifice bunt for DeSclafani in the 7th. c-walked for Lorenzen in the 8th.

E-Reyes (1). LOB-St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 14. 2B-Garcia 2 (11), Phillips (28), Suarez (20). HR-Molina (6), off DeSclafani; Grichuk (20), off DeSclafani. RBIs-Molina (42), Grichuk (51), Duvall (84), Schebler (26), Suarez (62). SB-Hamilton 3 (57), Suarez (9). CS-Schebler (2). SF-Duvall. S-Reyes, Holt.

Runners left in scoring position-St. Louis 1 (Gyorko); Cincinnati 7 (Hamilton 2, Phillips, Duvall 3, Barnhart). RISP-St. Louis 0 for 2; Cincinnati 4 for 13.

 

St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Reyes 6 6 2 2 2 7 103 1.35

Duke 1-3 2 0 0 1 0 15 0.71

Bowman 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 10 3.92

Siegrist 1 0 0 0 3 2 26 3.02

Oh L, 4-3 1-3 3 1 1 1 1 19 1.82

 

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

DeSclafani 7 6 2 2 1 3 96 2.93

Lorenzen 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 2.57

Iglesias W, 2-1 1 0 0 0 1 1 15 2.20

 

Inherited runners-scored-Bowman 3-0.

Umpires-Home, Ted Barrett; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Angel Hernandez; Third, Will Little.

T-2:57. A-21,441 (42,319).