Games 10, 11, and 12: Reds Swept in St Louis

It was a rough weekend for the Reds so I will sum it up in one post. The Reds went into St Louis one game over .500 and left two games under. St Louis has always been a tough road challenge, and this weekend was no different. Aside from Mike Leake and his complete game loss (8 innings, 4 hits, and two runs), Reds' starters took a licking. Johnny Cueto pitched 7 innings and gave up four runs in the loss on Friday. The Reds lost the game 6-1 with Joey Votto's 4th home run being the only offensive production. 

On Saturday, Homer Bailey made his season debut as he was activated from the DL. He lasted 5.2 innings while giving up 9 hits and five runs. The bullpen would come in and throw the remaining 2.1 innings without allowing another run. The Cards took the second game by a score of 5-1. 

On Sunday night, the Reds and Cards played ESPN's edition of Sunday Night Baseball. Adam Wainwright threw 8 innings while giving up one run. Mike Leake continued to show improvement, but the bats were nowhere to be found. St Louis took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Matt Carpenter home run and never looked back. The final score was 2-1. 

The Reds had a rough weekend. It always sucks to lose to the Cardinals, and this weekend seemed all too familiar. Combined, the Reds were 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. The pitching was far from spectacular, and St Louis is playing great ball. Next up for the Reds (5-7), they travel to Milwaukee on Monday for a four game swing with the Brewers (2-10). Anthony DeSclafani woll look to continue his hot start as he faces of against Wily Peralta in the opener. Peralta was 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his two starts last season against Cincinnati. Billy Hamilton returns to the lineup after a groin injury caused him to miss Sunday's finale in St Louis. The Reds need a good showing from their offense in this series to build on the momentum they started the season off with.