Friedl homers twice on birthday, Reds rout Cardinals 9-2 to sweep series

TJ Friedl homered twice on his 29th birthday, Jonathan India also hit two home runs and drove in four runs and the Cincinnati Reds completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 9-2 victory Wednesday night.

Friedl and Barry Larkin — on April 28, 1994 — are the only Reds since at least 1901 with multihomer games on their birthday.

“I don’t know the previous birthdays or what I did, but I know this one I’ll remember for my life,” Friedl said. “Having my family out here with me today, celebrating this morning and then coming to the field and doing that, stuff you dreamed of as a kid. So it was awesome.”

Tyler Stephenson also homered to help the Reds sweep a three-game series for the first time since July 2-4 at the New York Yankees.

The Reds have won their fourth straight — the first time that’s happened since they strung together seven in a row in early June — and moved into a tie with St. Louis for second place in the NL Central.

On a bullpen night for Cincinnati, six pitchers combined to allow two runs on 10 hits. Sam Moll (3-1) pitched a scoreless third for the victory.

With one out in the fourth, Will Benson walked and Noelvi Marte singled before India broke out of a 0-for-23 skid by driving a sweeper from Gibson into the seats in left field. Two batters later, Stephenson hit his 16th of the season.

India’s second homer came in the fifth, a 416-foot shot to center. Three batters later, Friedl hit a towering no-doubter to right, then hit another in the seventh off Kyle Leahy.

Elly De La Cruz had a two-out, RBI double in the eighth.

St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson (7-5) allowed seven runs and seven hits, including four homers, through 4 2/3 innings.

Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado had RBI singles for the Cardinals in the sixth.

The Cardinals were last swept April 19-21 by division-leading Milwaukee.

After an off day, the Cardinals will open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.