CINCINNATI – We’ll have to study the tape to determine who won the Big Brawl at Great American Ball Park Tuesday night. It was clear who won the baseball game that broke out afterward.
The Cardinals made the Reds look as bad as they have in months in an 8-4 loss before a crowd of 36,964.
The Reds had as many errors (three) after six innings as hits.
The Reds and Cardinals are now tied for first in National League Central.[url=
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The big brawl was followed by a pretty good game – for a while.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, an instigator of the first-inning fisticuffs, was booed loudly when he came up in the second inning. The Cardinals’ fans in the house erupted when he hit a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence for his fifth home run.
That made it 2-0. Reds starter Johnny Cueto gave up a run in the first after left fielder Jonny Gomes lost Felipe Lopez’s fly ball in the sun. Lopez scored on Albert Pujols’ groundout after being sacrificed to third base.
The Reds tied it in the third. Drew Stubbs walked and Ramon Hernandez singled. Cueto bunted them over which earned a tremendous ovation. Brandon Phillips drove in the first run with a groundout. After Paul Janish walked, Joey Votto singled to drive in Hernandez.
It stayed 2-2 until the sixth. Cueto gave up a single to Pujols, who scored on a double by Matt Holliday. Colby Rasmus doubled to drive in a run and went to third when the ball got by Chris Heisey. Molina drove in Rasmus with a sacrifice fly. That ended Cueto’s night.
Cueto went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He struck out four and didn’t walk anyone.
The Reds came back in their half of the sixth. Votto and Scott Rolen walked with one out. An out later, pinch-hitter Jim Edmonds walked to load the bases. Stubbs drove in Votto and Rolen with a single to left, but Edmonds was thrown out at second when he rounded too far.
Logan Ondrusek had his 22-inning scoreless streak broken in the seventh.
Brendan Ryan led off with a single.[url=
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