CINCINNATI — Reports of the Reds' demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Cincinnati is still in the NL Wild Card race after a blowout win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nick Martini started off the scoring spree with a three-run homer that went 390 feet. A Will Benson triple added another run.
Jonathan India then got to wear the Viking helmet after a two-run home run to make it 6-0. Not to be outdone, Spencer Steer then hit a solo home run to make it 7-0.
St. Louis was able to cut the lead to five in the third, but the Reds' bats couldn't be stopped.
Home runs from Tyler Stephenson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand — as well as an RBI double from TJ Friedl — helped make it 14-2 in the fourth.
Errors by the Cardinals defense added to the onslaught. Cincinnati was able to score 19 in a must-win game.
The Marlins defeated the Mets Friday night, keeping them in the last Wild Card spot. The Reds will have to win out, and the Marlins or Diamondbacks will have to be swept in addition to a Cubs loss for Cincinnati to make the playoffs.
