ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina left the game in the fourth inning with a bruised knee, and the St. Louis Cardinals extended a losing streak to four for the first time this year with a 5-2 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Molina, a nine-time All-Star catcher, and nine-time Gold Glove winner, took a foul tip off the bat of Kyle Farmer off his left knee in the fourth inning, Molina initially stayed in the game after he was examined by head athletic trainer Adam Olsen but appeared to be limping.
Andrew Knizner pinch hit in the bottom half for Molina, who is batting .277 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. Knizer made a run-scoring throwing error in the seventh.
Jonathan India and Eugenio Suárez homered for the Reds to back Tyler Mahle (5-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. His innings matched his big league high.
Nolan Arenado singled off Luca Sims leading off the ninth and Tyler O’Neill doubled with one out. Sims struck out Matt Carpenter and retired Edmundo Sosa on a flyout for his fifth save in six chances.
Cincinnati has won three in a row for the first time since a six-game winning streak that started after the Reds lost their opener against the Cardinals. Cincinnati has won five of its last six.
Suárez hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Ryan Helsley (3-4) for a 4-2 lead, Suárez’s 13th home run this season.
Knizer threw wildly past third and into left field, allowing Jesse Winkler to score. Winkler had been on second base when Genesis Cabrera sailed a wild pitch that went over Knizer’s glove and rebounded off the brick backstop to the catcher.
Cardinals starter Johan Oviedo allowed two runs and three hits in four innings. John Nogowski pinch hit for him with the bases loaded in the fourth and hit an inning-ending flyout.
Arenado had RBI singles in the first and fourth.
India homered in the third. The rookie is 13 for 27 with two homers six RBIs against the Cardinals.
Tucker Barnhart singled in a run in the fourth.
STREAKING
Nick Castellanos singled in the seventh to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games. Castellanos is 37 for 81 (.457) during the longest hitting streak in the major leaguers this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Placed INF Alex Blandino (broken right hand) on the 10-day injured list and recalled RHP Ashton Godeau from Triple-A Louisville. Blandino injured his hand when he was hit by a pitch from Jake Woodford in the fifth inning Friday night. Bell said Blandino should miss three to six weeks.
Cardinals: Placed LHP Kwang Hyun Kim (lower back tightness) and OF Justin Williams (neck stiffness) on the 10-day injured list and recalled 1B John Nogowski and RHP Angel Rondón from Triple-A Memphis. Kim departed his start Friday night after starting to warmup in the fourth inning. Williams’ neck flared up after the team returned from Los Angeles Thursday.
UP NEXT
The Reds will start LHP Wade Miley (5-4, 3.26 ERA) against Cardinals RHP John Gant (4-3, 1.60 ERA) on Sunday in a rematch of their April 24 matchup in St. Louis. Gant earned the win in his only career start against Cincinnati, while Miley allowed two runs in six innings.
