Cincinnati Reds swept by Cardinals, take 4-game skid to San Diego

ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds got a much-needed pitcher back from the injured list and got two home runs from a struggling hitter in the series finale.

But what they didn't get was enough to beat the Cardinals even once during a Cards' three-game sweep that included back-to-back game-winners in the eighth inning – including errors that allowed the decisive runs to score in St. Louis' 5-3 victory over the Reds on Sunday, June 7.

After a pair of singles to open the eighth put Cards at first and second, reliever Sam Moll fielded No. 9 hitter Victor Scott's bunt and air-mailed it past third base for the run-scoring error. He then walked JJ Wetherholt to load the bases with nobody out and exited.

Shortstop Matt McLain , the struggling hitter with two homers in that finale and three in the final two games of the series, followed the eighth-inning pitching change with a backhand muff of Ivan Herrera 's hopper to the drawn-in infield for an error that allowed the insurance run to score.

Just like that, the Reds fell two games under .500 (31-33) for the first time this season, took a four-game losing streak to San Diego for their next series, and dropped to 2-13 against National League Central rivals (without having seen the first-place Brewers yet).

Until the eighth, McLain had given the Reds the lead in the third and later tied the game in the seventh with a pair of solo home runs. Catcher Tyler Stephenson followed McLain with his own solo shot in the third to make it 2-0 at that point.

That's when the Reds' beat-to-hell bullpen was needed for a long day of relief because of rookie Rhett Lowder 's labors to navigate heavy traffic in his return engagement from the injured list.

He lasted just three innings and needed 70 pitches to do that.