Reds Start Second Half Off With Sweep of the Cardinals

The Reds had plenty to celebrate during their sweep, including Ryan Ludwick's walk-off home run Saturday night. (Joseph Fuqua II)

The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals are once again engaged in another race for the NL Central title. However, this year they were both were looking up at the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates at the All-Star Break. With the postseason likely on the line, every divisional game seems to carry an extra weight of significance to whichever teams are involved. The first series out of the second half gate saw the Cardinals traveling to Great American Ball Park to take on the Reds.

Friday night felt like Opening Day all over again. With excitement in the air, 40,217 came to watch the divisional rivals battle. Mat Latos, who has been up-and-down all season, was on the mound for the Reds. In the second inning, Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker singled home catcher Yadier Molina to begin the scoring. Latos got out of the inning with only one run crossing home. In the third inning, he limited the damage again, allowing just one additional run. Latos didn't have his best stuff during his five innings of work, but he limited the damage enough to keep his team in it.

Meanwhile, Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright appeared to be in cruise control. Prior to the seventh inning, he had only made one mistake, a solo home run to Reds third baseman Todd Frazier. Wainwright though ran into some trouble in the seventh. The Reds loaded the bases to bring catcher Ryan Hanigan to the plate. Wainwright induced what appeared to be a routine slow grounder to Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig. But an errant throw by Craig allowed two runs to score. The Cardinals never recovered as Reds closer Aroldis Chapman closed the door on the Reds' 5-3 victory.

Saturday afternoon began with what seemed to be a pitcher's dual between the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse and the Reds' Mike Leake. The Reds offense was the first to break through in the fifth inning when right fielder Jay Bruce doubled home second baseman Brandon Phillips. They doubled their lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Zack Cozart. However, in the seventh the Cardinals offense awakened on a solo home run by Molina. They then tied it up on a bunt single by shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Neither side managed to break the 2-2 tie through the ninth inning, so we were headed for extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Reds reliever Sam LeCure pitched a 1-2-3 inning to retire the side. With one out in the bottom half of the frame, a previously 0-for-4 Ryan Ludwick came up to bat for the Reds. He quickly fell behind 0-2. Ludwick battled to foul off three straight pitches, and then watched three straight balls from Cardinals reliever Victor Marte. He finally saw the pitch he had been looking for and crushed it for a walk-off home run.

The series finale turned out to be the nationally televised feature of Sunday Night Baseball. Molina started off the scoring for the visitors with an RBI double in the second inning. Reds first baseman Joey Votto answered in the third with an RBI double of his own. The Reds took the lead 2-1 when Phillips singled to score Votto. However, Molina struck again with a solo home run to knot things up 2-2.

Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey pitched eight excellent innings, allowing just the two runs. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, his counterpart, Cardinals starting pitcher Jake Westbrook, got himself into trouble. He walked Votto and then hit Phillips with a pitch. Cardinals reliever Mark Rzepczynski came in relief and got Bruce to groundout for the second out. The runners still advanced though, so the Cardinals new reliever Mitchell Boggs intentionally walked Ludwick to load the bases. This brought veteran third baseman Scott Rolen to the plate. Rolen came up with a clutch single to plate two as the Reds took the 4-2 lead. Chapman came in and struck out the side for his 13th save of the season.

The Reds have to feel great about what they just accomplished. A sweep of a divisional rival is the perfect way to start a second half push for the postseason. The sweep also propelled the Reds into first place ahead of the Pirates. The second half of the season is just getting under way, but it looks like the NL Central race should be a dandy to the finish.

The Reds will look to keep their winning going as they host a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will look to bounce back as they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers in a three-game set beginning tomorrow.