Cardinals Vs. Reds Final Score: Matt Holliday, Allen Craig Lead St. Louis To Series Victory

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 8-2 on Sunday, and took a crucial three-game series on the road in the process.

Matt Holliday fell a homer short of the cycle, as he rapped out four hits and drove in four runs. Allen Craig was big on offense for the Cards as well, going 3-for-5 with a two-run shot and three driven in overall.

Adam Wainwright kept the Reds off balance for 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out two. He did not walk anybody. While Sunday's game marked Wainwright's shortest outing since June 29, he still picked up his 13th victory on the strength of a 9-to-2 groundout/flyout ratio. He also had the Cardinals' middle-of-the-order boppers and a solid bullpen effort to thank.

Matt Carpenter had three hits on the day to raise his batting average to .310, while Skip Schumaker contributed two hits of his own. The Cardinals moved to within six games of the Reds in the NL Central with the series victory, and remain in sole possession of second place in the division.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

Cardinals Vs. Reds: St. Louis, Cincinnati Starting Lineups For Sunday's Matchup

The St. Louis Cardinals had their four-game winning streak ended on Saturday night by the Cincinnati Reds, but the Cards send Adam Wainwright to the mound on Sunday hoping to start a a new streak. Wainwright has won his last four starts, notching a 1.16 ERA in the process. The St. Louis lineup, via the team's official twitter feed:

#STLCards vs. CIN (8/26): Jay, cf; Carpenter, 3b; Holliday, lf; Craig, 1b; Beltrán, rf; Molina, c; Schumaker, 2b; Furcal, ss; Wainwright, p.

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 26, 2012

The Cincinnati lineup, also courtesy of the the team's official twitter feed:

Sunday's lineup vs. StL: Cozart 6, Heisey 8, Phillips 4, Ludwick 7, Bruce 9, Frazier 3, Rolen 5, Hanigan 2, Bailey 1

— Reds (@Reds) August 26, 2012

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EST from Great American Ball Park.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos and SB Nation St. Louis. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

Cardinals Vs. Reds: Red-Hot Adam Wainwright Takes Mound For St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals (69-57) saw their modest four-game winning streak end on Saturday night, and will take the field Sunday for the final time this year at Great American Ball Park looking to even their season series with the Cincinnati Reds (77-51).

Adam Wainwright (12-10, 3.65 ERA) will be on the hill for St. Louis. The right-hander has won his last four starts, compiling a 1.16 ERA, and is coming off a career-best 12-strikeout performance on Tuesday. Wainwright has struggled against the Reds this season, allowing eight runs in two losses.

Homer Bailey (10-8, 4.11 ERA) will take the mound for Cincinnati. Bailey has struggled at his home stadium, going just 3-6 with a 5.42 ERA in 13 starts.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos and SB Nation St. Louis. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

Cardinals Vs. Reds Final Score: St. Louis Falls To Cincinnati 8-2

The Cincinnati Reds scored three runs in the sixth inning and four more in the seventh as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2. Cardinals starting pitcher Jaime Garcia was playing well up until the sixth inning, when he allowed a run on an infield fielders choice and then the big play was a two-run blast by Jay Bruce.

In the seventh inning Garcia was replaced by Brandon Dickson who had a poor seventh inning when he allowed four runs in just one inning of work, and also gave up a solo home run to Brandon Phillips in the process.

The Cardinals were unable to comeback after that two inning scoring streak by the Reds as their relief staff only allowed the Cardinals one hit over the final 2.1 innings.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos and SB Nation St. Louis. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

St. Louis Cardinals Move Joe Kelly Back To Rotation, Lance Lynn Moves To Bullpen

The St. Louis Cardinals are moving rookie Joe Kelly into the rotation in place of Lance Lynn. The two pitchers were notified on Saturday morning, according to this report by the St. Louis Dispatch. Kelly's first scheduled start back in the rotation will take place next Wednesday.

Lynn has failed to make it past the fifth inning in his past three starts and only lasted two innings in his start on Friday night, giving up six hits and four earned runs against the Cincinnatti Reds. Lynn has allowed a total of 23 runs in his past six starts.

Kelly was removed from the rotation recently, but has put up solid performances as a reliever, giving up only two runs in 8.2 innings since the move.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said the move is open-ended and will be evaluated from start to start.

Dan Moore, a writer for SB Nation's Viva El Birdos, had this to say about about Lynn's possible departure from the rotation:

Generally I'm in favor of any move that reiterates Lynn's importance in the rotation--bumping him for a start so that he'll be fresher in September, or something--and not in favor of any move that suggests that the month he's had predicts the month he'll have next, which should therefore be avoided by putting him in the bullpen or telling him the season's over and being really convincing about it or giving Joe Kelly a velvet uniform and a scepter and the shelf full of Hungoes that Al Hrabosky clearly wants to give him.

Most of Kelly's troubles have been related to his lack of control. Kelly regaining his form will be crucial for the Cardinals, especially with the playoffs looming.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

Cardinals Vs. Reds Lineups: Allen Craig Back In Cleanup Spot After Big Friday Night

St. Louis Cardinals utility man Allen Craig is back in the cleanup spot for Saturday's game vs. the Cincinnati Reds after going 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in last night's 8-5 victory.

Craig is only a utility man by definition, and certainly not by reputation; while most utility players are all-glove, no-bat types, he is hitting .318/.379/.582 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI in just 83 games. 2012 marks the second consecutive season in which Craig has provided excellent production as a part-time player.

Here are the full lineups:

Cardinals:

1. Jon Jay CF
2. Matt Carpenter 3B
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Allen Craig 1B
5. Carlos Beltran RF
6. Skip Schumaker 2B
7. Tony Cruz C
8. Rafael Furcal SS
9. Jaime Garcia P

Reds:

1. Zack Cozart SS
2. Drew Stubbs CF
3. Brandon Phillips 2B
4. Ryan Ludwick LF
5. Todd Frazier 1B
6. Jay Bruce RF
7. Scott Rolen 3B
8. Dioner Navarro C
9. Mike Leake P

Jaime Garcia (3-4, 4.00 ERA) will be on the bump for the Cardinals, opposite Mike Leake (5-8, 4.59) and the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.

For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.

Cardinals vs. Reds Preview: Cards Look To Gain Ground On First Place Reds

The St. Louis Cardinals look to add to their four-game winning streak Saturday in the second of a pivotal three-game series against the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds.

Jaime Garcia (3-4) takes the bump for the Cardinals in his second start since shoulder problems kept him out of the rotation for over two months. He faces Reds right hander Mike Leake (5-8), who is looking to rebound after lasting only four innings and giving up seven earned runs on ten hits in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

St. Louis took the first game of the series Friday, 8-5, thanks in part to a six-run sixth inning that included an Allen Craig three-run home run. Yadier Molina had a solo home run, and Rafael Furcal and Matt Holiday also drove in runs.

The win reduced Cincinnati's lead in the NL Central to six games. Saturday's game starts at 3:05 CT. It can be found on Fox.

Cardinals Vs. Reds Game Recap: Six-Run Sixth Propels St. Louis To Another Win

At this time last year, the St. Louis Cardinals began what was one of the most magical rides in franchise history. Following their 8-5 victory over the first-place Reds on Friday night -- which is the club's fourth win in a row -- the Cardinals are starting to show they aren't conceding the National League Central anytime soon.

A six-run sixth inning propelled St. Louis to a lead they would not relinquish. The Reds took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and tacked on runs in the second and third to push the score to 4-1. David Freese singled home a run in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-2, although Cincinnati responded with an RBI double in the fifth to make it 5-2.

The sixth inning went like this: Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday singled to begin the frame, and they were driven in on a three-run blast from Allen Craig. Yadier Molina followed with a solo homer to give St. Louis a 6-5 lead. David Freese walked, Skip Schumaker singled and then Rafael Furcal singled home Freese to make it 7-5. Matt Carpenter hit a deep sacrifice fly to push the lead to 8-5.

The Cardinals bullpen was terrific as a whole, working seven innings of one-run ball. They surrendered just six hits and one walk. Scott Rolen came to the plate with two outs in the ninth as the potential game-tying run, but struck out swinging against Jason Motte.

The two clubs will meet again at 3:05 p.m. CT on Saturday.

For more on the Cardinals, check out Viva El Birdos.

Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals Chase Mat Latos With Huge 6th-Inning Rally

Allen Craig responded to a long fly ball just foul with a three-run home run to dead center field, and Yadier Molina followed with another homer to launch a huge rally in the St. Louis Cardinals' crucial series-opener vs. the Cincinnati Reds Friday. Mat Latos, solid through five, failed to record an out in what became a six-run sixth inning that saw the Cardinals come back from three down to take an 8-5 lead.

If the game ends this way the turning point could be in the way each team responded to its shaky starting pitching. The Cardinals pulled All-Star Lance Lynn after just two innings, going to sixth-starter Joe Kelly early. The Reds watched the game get away from Latos in the sixth; he allowed five baserunners in the sixth before they went to Alfredo Simon, who proceeded to allow two more before recording his first out.

Molina, Brandon Phillips's opposite number in the tense Reds-Cardinals rivalry, now has three hits in as many at-bats and two runs scored to start his most recent visit to Great American Ballpark.

Scott Rolen, Back From The Brink, Paces Cincinnati Reds In August

Scott Rolen is heading back to St. Louis, this time as a Cincinnati Red, but he looks very much like the player who once starred for the Red Birds. The third baseman is hitting .341/.430/.549 since the All-Star Break after a first half of the season that had many wondering if the 37-year-old was done.

Now Rolen is red hot and hoping to help the Reds put even more distance between them and the second-place Cardinals. They currently lead the Central by seven games over St. Louis with a chance to add to that margin at Busch Stadium this weekend.

Knowing that the Reds were heading to St. Louis this weekend, Dusty Baker made sure to spell Rolen against the Phillies. Now he is fresh to take on the Cardinals.

"I could see him wearing down the last couple of days. I've got to spot him," Baker said. "Hopefully he'll be fresh."

The last thing that the Cardinals wanted to see was a fresh and hot Rolen this weekend. After all, they know what Rolen can do when he is in a groove after a six-year stint in St. Louis that saw him make the All-Star team five times, but a red hot Rolen is what they are going to get.

Joey Votto Injury: Cincinnati Reds' Star Still Out Vs. Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Cincinnati for the first of a three-game series this weekend, facing a Reds team that will still not feature star first baseman Joey Votto. The Cardinals currently hold one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League and will be looking to build upon a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros this past week.

Votto has been out since having surgery on his left knee on July 16 and a follow-up procedure on Aug. 10, but started hitting this past week in rehab work according to MLB.com.

"He's been hitting in the cage, running and taking ground balls," Reds head trainer Paul Lessard said.

Scott Rolen has played primarily at first base in Votto's absence and has appeared to wear down lately, with manager Dusty Baker giving the veteran player a day off prior to this weekend's series. It's expected that Rolen will play in all three games against the Cardinals.

For more on the Reds, visit Red Reporter. For more on the Cardinals, be sure to check out Viva El Birdos.

St. Louis Cardinals Open a 10-Game Road Trip At Cincinnati Friday

The St. Louis Cardinals will take the momentum from a three-game sweep over the Houston Astros into a 10-game road streak against some of the best teams in the National League.