Reds hope to build off gratifying victory

ST. LOUIS -- The Reds' rough road trip had a positive ending thanks to big days at the plate from Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler, a clutch hit from Joey Votto and a strong bullpen performance.
The Reds recorded a season-high 16 hits to rally from a four-run deficit in their 5-4 win over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
"We never stopped fighting," said Duvall, who led the offense with four hits, including three doubles, two runs and one RBI. "That's kind of what I see from this team. We're not out of it until it's over. That was a satisfying win."

The Reds (11-13) lost the first four games of the road trip to Milwaukee and St. Louis and had lost eight of nine games going back to previous series against the Cubs and Orioles.
"Confidence comes from experience and experiencing something like that, coming back against a good team like that. That experience can only give you confidence," said Schebler, who had three hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs. "You build off that and go into the next series with that momentum."
For much of Sunday's game, it looked like the story would be Cardinals right-hander Mike Leake beating his old team for the first time. He allowed eight hits but just one run in his six innings, as he consistently worked his way out of trouble.
The Reds pounced on the Cardinals' bullpen, specifically righty Matt Bowman and lefty Brett Cecil, in the seventh inning after stranding two runners on base in four of the first six innings against Leake.
After a two-out RBI double by Duvall -- his third consecutive double -- off Bowman trimmed the deficit to 4-2, Eugenio Suárez followed with an RBI single to chase Bowman from the game.
The first batter Cecil faced, Schebler, then smacked an RBI double to right field to tie the score, 4-4.

The Reds then loaded the bases in the eighth inning against hard-throwing right-hander Trevor Rosenthal before Votto came through with a one-out RBI single.
"There were a lot of clutch at-bats," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We had to get to that point first. Part of that was [Michael] Lorenzen coming in and shutting down the inning to where it gave us a chance to get in there and not give up any more. That was big. Certainly [Tucker] Barnhart leading off with a walk. [Devin Mesoraco] hitting a ball through the left side. Billy [Hamilton] up there to bunt draws a walk."
Votto's RBI single, which came against a 99 mph fastball, was his first hit in six career at-bats against Rosenthal.
"He's a tough guy to match up against," Votto said. "He's throwing hard as ever. I missed two of them, and I happened to put the third one in play. He broke my bat on it, too."
The Reds' bullpen came up clutch to secure the win. After scoreless innings from Lorenzen, Drew Storen and Wandy Peralta (1-0), Raisel Iglesias tossed two scoreless frames to earn his fourth save.
The win gives the Reds some momentum as they head back to Cincinnati to begin a nine-game homestand against the Pirates, Giants and Yankees.
"We've got to continue to chug along and get better," Votto said. We have to go out there and take it. Games like this are how you set that sort of tone."