ST. LOUIS -- Reds pitchers certainly had a tough time keeping the ball in the ballpark Friday night, as they allowed six home runs during a 14-3 loss to the Cardinals. But center fielder Billy Hamilton at least made sure one ball did not get away.
It was a 7-3 game in the sixth inning when Matt Carpenter lifted a drive off of Dan Straily that carried to straightaway center field. Hamilton made a run to the warning track, took a leap and made a masterful catch above the wall to keep the ball from landing on the other side.
The catch was one of the few positive moments the Reds had on Friday.

"He's a defensive highlight reel," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "No doubt about it, even the base hit to center [in the seventh] and he beats the throw to second base. The speed shows up, the athleticism in the outfield shows up every day. I thought that was certainly a lot of fun to watch, even though it was in a losing effort."
Where did the catch rank for Hamilton?
"It'd have to be No. 1 for me," he said. "It's the first time I really actually robbed a home run and brought it back. It was actually a pretty fun night. The game didn't go as well as planned. But that catch was pretty good for me."
Hamilton appreciated the applause he received from Cardinals fans at Busch Stadium.
"They showed a bunch of love, that's good. They know baseball," Hamilton said. "The fans here are pretty good. They all stood up and clapped and it was pretty cool. And it's a rivalry game, too."