Reds outlast Cards, just 2 back of final NL wild-card spot

Tyler Stephenson drove in three runs as the visiting Cincinnati Reds snapped their three-game losing streak by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Monday night.

Sal Stewart went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs and two RBIs as the Reds (75-75) moved within two games of the New York Mets for the final National League wild-card slot. Matt McLain drove in two and scored twice in the opener of a three-game set.

Reds starter Zack Littell allowed four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked none.

Connor Phillips (3-0) earned the victory with a scoreless eighth.

Alec Burleson drove in two runs for the Cardinals (73-78), who have lost six of seven games and are 4 1/2 games behind the Mets.

Willson Contreras went 2-for-3 with an RBI before exiting with right bicep tightness. Nolan Arenado went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first game since July 30 after recovering from shoulder soreness.

Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Ryan Fernandez (0-4) took the loss, giving up one run on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.

Stewart's first-inning homer put the Red up 1-0. The Cardinals tied the game in the second on Arenado's RBI single, which scored Contreras.

Cincinnati moved ahead 3-1 in the third. McLain hit a single, Noelvi Marte walked, Miguel Andujar hit an RBI single and Marte scored on an error.

St. Louis went up 4-3 in the sixth with a two-out rally. Brendan Donovan hit a single, Littell hit Ivan Herrera, Burleson hit a two-run double and Contreras added an RBI single.

The Reds rallied to grab a 6-4 lead in the seventh on Stephenson's single, Elly De La Cruz's walk, McLain's two-run double and TJ Friedl's RBI single.

In a back-and-forth affair, the Cardinals tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the inning on Arenado's double and singles by Thomas Saggese, Donovan and Herrera.

Cincinnati moved ahead 7-6 in the eighth on a single by Stewart, walks to Stephenson and De La Cruz and Will Benson's sacrifice fly. Stewart's RBI infield single and Stephenson's three-run double made it 11-6 in the ninth.

--Field Level Media