Farmer sparks Reds comeback for 6-5 win over Cardinals

CINCINNATI (AP) — Tyler Stephenson drove in Kyle Farmer with a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

Farmer, who also homered, led off the eighth with a single to left for his third hit of the game, and was safe at second on a throwing error by pitcher Giovanny Gallegos (5-3) on pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart’s potential double-play ball. One out later, Jesse Winker walked to load the bases ahead of Stephenson.

Joey Votto also had three hits for the Reds, who shook off home long home runs by Paul Goldschmidt and Harrison Bader to maintain their hold on second place in the NL Central.

St. Louis had won five of its last six games. The win was just Cincinnati’s second in seven games on the nine-game homestand.

Andrew Knizner’s two-run single was one of four straight hits delivered by the bottom of the St. Louis batting order during a sixth-inning three-run Cardinal rally.

Votto’s third hit and second double helped the Reds tie the game in the seventh. Eugenio Suárez drove in one run with a double down the left-field line. Votto scored the tying run on a wild pitch before Dylan Carlson threw out Suárez trying to score on Aristides Aquino’s fly ball to right.

Right-hander Brad Brach (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth. Right-hander Heath Hembree earned his first save, striking out the side in the ninth, including pinch-hitting Adam Waiwright for the final out.

Goldschmidt launched a booming fly ball that sailed five rows deep into the second level in left-center field in the first against Tyler Mahle. Bader unleashed a vicious line drive that banged off the ribbon board on the façade of the second deck in left field in the second.

Mahle lasted five innings, allowing five hits and...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Farmer-sparks-Reds-comeback-for-6-5-win-over-16336790.php