CINCINNATI — TJ Friedl homered twice on his 29th birthday, Jonathan India also hit two home runs and drove in four runs and the Cincinnati Reds completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 9-2 victory Wednesday night.
Friedl and Barry Larkin — on April 28, 1994 — are the only Reds with multihomer games on their birthday.
“I don’t know the previous birthdays or what I did, but I know this one I’ll remember for my life,” Friedl said. “Having my family out here with me today, celebrating this morning and then coming to the field and doing that, stuff you dreamed of as a kid. So it was awesome.”
Tyler Stephenson also homered to help the Reds sweep a three-game series for the first time since July 2-4 at the New York Yankees.
The Reds have won their fourth straight — the first time that’s happened since they strung together seven in a row in early June — and moved into a tie with St. Louis for second place in the NL Central.
On a bullpen night for Cincinnati, six pitchers combined to allow two runs on 10 hits. Sam Moll (3-1) pitched a scoreless third for the victory.
With one out in the fourth, Will Benson walked and Noelvi Marte singled before India broke out of a 0-for-23 skid by driving a sweeper from Gibson into the seats in left field. Two batters later, Stephenson hit his 16th of the season.
India’s second homer came in the fifth, a 416-foot shot to center. Three batters later, Friedl hit a towering no-doubter to right, then hit another in the seventh off Kyle Leahy.
“I can tell that our team’s clicking,” India said. “We’re playing well. We’re stringing at-bats together. Pitching is doing really well for us.
“We are a playoff team,” he said. “I always say that. We’ve had some tough stretches this year but, you know, it’s part of baseball. We need to find ways to win. We are now, and I think it’s a perfect time to get hot.”
Elly De La Cruz had a two-out, RBI double in the eighth.
St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson (7-5) allowed seven runs and seven hits, including four homers, through 4 2/3 innings.
Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado had RBI singles for the Cardinals in the sixth.
The Cardinals were last swept April 19-21 by division-leading Milwaukee.
“(The Reds) took some really good swings and hit the ball hard. We didn’t,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “What it comes down to is they hit the ball hard — 10 home runs to one in the series. They out-slugged us. It was more than enough.”
UP NEXT
Cardinals: After an off day, open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Starting pitchers haven’t been named.
Reds: Following an off day, host the Kansas City Royals for a three-game interleague series beginning on Friday night. Right-hander Nick Martinez (6-5, 3-16 ERA) gets the start against Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79).
