Michael McGreevy, JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien combined on a three-hitter as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the visiting Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Tuesday night.

McGreevy (7-3) held the Reds to three hits and three walks in seven innings. He struck out six.

Romero retired the Reds in order in the eighth inning and O’Brien closed them out without incident in the ninth inning for his fifth save.

Thomas Saggese hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals (74-78), who won for just the second time in their last eight games.

The Cardinals remained 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the race for the final National League wild-card spot. The Reds (75-76) lost for the fourth time in five games to fall three games behind the Mets, who defeated the San Diego Padres 8-3 Tuesday.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott (9-7) allowed three runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked none.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 first-inning lead. Brendan Donovan hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Ivan Herrera’s single and scored on Nolan Arenado’s sacrifice fly.

After the Reds’ Sal Stewart walked and Will Benson hit a single in the second inning, McGreevy short-circuited the rally by getting Tyler Stephenson to ground into a double play.

Pedro Pages hit a single in the bottom of the inning and moved to second base with two outs on a wild pitch. But Donovan grounded out to strand him.

Gavin Lux hit a two-out double for the Reds in the third inning, but Noelvi Marte bounced into an inning-ending groundout.

St. Louis increased its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the inning. Alec Burleson hit a single and Saggese lined his homer into the left field bullpen.

–Field Level Media