Andre Pallante and three relievers combined for a four-hit shutout as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the visiting Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Friday.
The Cardinals snapped a three-game losing streak while the Reds lost for the sixth time in eight games.
In his second start after making 17 relief appearances, Pallante (2-0) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Genesis Cabrera followed with 1 2/3 innings, Giovanny Gallegos worked the eighth inning and Ryan Helsley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fourth save.
Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (2-4) allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits in six innings. He walked one and fanned three.
The Reds loaded the bases in the first inning but failed to score. After allowing Brandon Drury’s one-out single and two-out walks to Joey Votto and Kyle Farmer, Pallante retired Matt Reynolds on a lineout to end the threat.
The Cardinals scored the game’s only runs in the bottom of the inning with the help of two Reds fielding mishaps. With two outs, Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 46 games. The last St. Louis player with a longer stretch was Matt Holliday, who had a 47-game on-base streak spanning the 2014 and ’15 seasons.
Nolan Arenado dumped a single into right field, and Goldschmidt scored after Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino threw wildly to first base behind Arenado.
Tyler O’Neill followed with an infield single that third baseman Drury compounded with a throwing error, allowing Arenado to score. Castillo hit Brendan Donovan with a pitch, then struck out Dylan Carlson to end the threat.
Castillo retired 10 straight batters before allowing Carlson’s infield single in the sixth inning.
St. Louis’ Tommy Edman drew a one-out walk in the seventh inning off reliever Jeff Hoffman. Edman stole second base, but Nolan Gorman lined out and Goldschmidt grounded put to strand the runner.
Gallegos walked Colin Moran leading off the eighth inning, then walked Drury with one out and walked Votto with two outs. However, Farmer popped out to end the frame.
–Field Level Media
