CINCINNATI — Spencer Steer homered in consecutive at-bats and drove in five runs, and Elly De La Cruz hit his team-leading 21st homer as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 on Monday night.
Andrew Abbott (10-9) allowed one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings to snap his three-game losing streak. The left-hander was tagged for 12 earned runs over his previous 13 1/3 innings.
Cardinals starter Sonny Gray (11-7) struck out nine in five innings, but is winless in three career starts against his former club. He gave up six runs and five hits, including three homers.
Abbott escaped bases-loaded jams in the second and third. He finished with six strikeouts and retired 11 straight batters during one stretch.
Steer and De La Cruz homered on successive pitches from Gray to put Cincinnati ahead 3-1 in the third. It was the fifth time this season the Reds hit back-to-back homers.
Steer, who batted leadoff for the third time this year and fifth time in his career, struck again in the fifth with a three-run shot to make it 6-1.
It was Steer's first career multi-homer game. He has 18 home runs this season.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater in the fifth after arguing a called ball. It was Marmol's fourth ejection this season and the 13th of his career.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: DH/INF Matt Carpenter (lower back strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 9, and OF Jordan Walker was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. ... RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) threw a bullpen.
Reds: RHP Graham Ashcraft (right elbow strain) will begin a six-week throwing program in about 10 days. ... INF Matt McLain (left shoulder surgery), who had a setback with a stress reaction in his rib cage, is expected to begin hitting in a couple of days.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Erick Fedde (8-5, 3.28 ERA) pitches Tuesday night, his second start for St. Louis since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a trade.
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (8-4, 2.90) had a 24-inning scoreless streak snapped in his last start.
