Reds beat Cards 6-2, cling to wild card hopes

Spencer Steer homered and drove in five runs, helping Brady Singer and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 on Wednesday.

The Reds (76-76) used 11 hits to take the rubber game of the three-game series. They are hoping to rally into the third NL wild card in the final days of the season. Currently the Reds are two games out of the final playoff slot held by the Mets with ten games left in the regular season.

Singer (14-10) permitted two runs, one earned, and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Alec Burleson hit his 18th homer for St. Louis in the first. The Cardinals (74-79) finished with five hits.

Pallante allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He is 0-8 in his last nine starts.

The Cardinals went 7-6 against the Reds in the season series.

Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (13-8, 4.43 ERA) starts on Friday in the opener of a weekend series against the NL Central-leading Brewers.



(AP Photo Jeff Roberson)