Reds ride Scooter's 4 HRs to rout of Cards

CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett dominated with a franchise-best four home runs at the plate for the Reds, while Tim Adleman worked smoothly from the mound. Put the two performances together, and a few other key contributions, and Cincinnati buried the Cardinals with a 13-1 victory on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park.
Gennett blooped an RBI single to shallow left field in the first, but his night really took off when he slugged a grand slam to right-center field against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright in the third inning. During a five-run fourth, Eugenio Suárez ripped a bases-loaded triple past a diving Dexter Fowler, and Gennett followed with a two-run homer to center field against reliever John Gant. Gennett's third homer, also against Gant, traveled to the left-field corner and made it an 11-0 game. In the eighth inning, Gennett jumped on a 0-2 pitch from John Brebbia for his historic fourth homer.
"Feels pretty cool," Gennett said. "That's something I never thought I would do. Even three home runs would be too crazy for me. Obviously, it was a good night."

The first Red to ever accomplish the four-homer feat, Gennett's 10 RBIs tied the team record Walker Cooper set on July 6, 1949. It also marked the first time in Cardinals history that they have been on the wrong end of a four-homer game.
• Gennett 17th in MLB history with 4-HR game
"'Sounds like I'm not going to use that ball again,'" Brebbia said of his reaction to Gennett's final swing. "And when I looked at it, that was the confirmation. I thought it was the right pitch. And then it came out of my hand, and it went belly-button high or so. That's not the spot I wanted it."
• Cut4: Gennett's unforgettable night had it all

On the heels of ending a 0-for-19 slump with the game-winning two-run double on Monday, Gennett is 6-for-6 since.
"You guys weren't all here when I was 0-for-19," Gennett joked. "It's good to see you guys again."
• Reds in awe of Gennett's historic power display
Wainwright was tagged with nine earned runs and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. It was the most runs he has allowed in a start since Aug. 28, 2013, also against Cincinnati. Wainwright entered the night having allowed one run in his last 26 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals have dropped five straight games, their longest losing streak since June of last season. Not only have the Reds taken the first two games of the four-game series, they have won nine of the last 14 games played against their National League Central nemeses.
• Posnanski: Gennett exceeds expectations
"It's not good," Wainwright said of the team's 5-15 skid. "Speaking from my point of view, I really wanted to come in here and stop that streak. It just didn't happen. We needed zeros out of me tonight, and I didn't make it happen."

The rout made for a smooth night for Adleman, who delivered his third straight quality start with seven innings, one earned run, three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. The shutout bid ended in the seventh when Stephen Piscotty led off the inning with a homer pulled just inside the left-field foul pole.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Grand night for Gennett: In the bottom of the third inning, Gennett slugged Wainwright's 3-2 sinker into right-center-field seats for the grand slam that gave Cincinnati a five-run lead. According to Statcast™, the ball came off the bat with a 102-mph exit velocity and traveled a projected 404 feet. It was the second grand slam of Gennett's career. His first came for the Brewers against the Nationals on June 25, 2015.

Unique challenge by Cardinals: It was a different type of replay challenge than normal when Mike Matheny asked for one in the bottom of the third. The Cardinals wanted an out the Reds made overturned. Suarez hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory near the right-field corner that had scored Zack Cozart. Piscotty was ruled to have made the catch, but the Cardinals' video people noticed the ball skipped off the wall first before it was secured in the right fielder's glove. It was a successful challenge and both the out and Reds' run were taken off the scoreboard. Suarez would draw a walk to set up the big moment for Gennett.
"I was ok with it. I liked it," Wainwright said of sacrificing the out to wipe away a run. "It's a roll of the dice, right? Take your chances with getting out of that inning with a ground ball. I was getting the ball on the ground and getting soft contact, so they liked my chances there, and I did, too." More >

QUOTABLE
"When you've got Scooter on your team, everything is easy." -- Adleman, on pitching with a big lead and providing a strong performance
"I think we're all tired of making excuses about anything. We've got to change what's going on. And it will. No question. It's one of those bad runs that we have to work our way through. And we will make it look different than what it looked like tonight. It's no fun while you're going through it." -- Matheny
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
A four-homer game has been achieved only 17 times in Major League history and not since Josh Hamilton did it for the Rangers on May 8, 2012. The feat is rarer than a perfect game, which has been accomplished 23 times in MLB history. More >
TAKING ANOTHER LOOK
In the top of the first inning with two outs, Piscotty attempted to advance to second base on an Adleman wild pitch to Jedd Gyorko. Piscotty slid into second base and was ruled safe on the field by umpire Bill Welke. The Reds were quick to challenge the call and upon review, it was overturned when it was clear José Peraza applied the tag in time. Piscotty was called out to end the inning.

WHAT'S NEXT
Cardinals:Lance Lynn, who has yielded two or fewer earned runs in seven of his 11 starts this season, will start for the Cardinals in Wednesday's game at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT. Lynn is 9-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 18 career appearances (15 starts) against the Reds.
Reds:Bronson Arroyo will be on the mound when the Reds try to take the four-game series with a third straight win at 7:10 p.m. ET Wednesday. Arroyo provided a quality start his last time out vs. the Braves with two runs allowed over six innings in a no-decision but is winless in his last five starts.
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