ST. LOUIS -- When Kolten Wong knocked a game-winning hit to deep right-center field, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-4 walk-off win over the Reds at Busch Stadium on Thursday night, the home dugout exploded and players ran out to greet Wong at first base.

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They waited for Dexter Fowler to cross home plate before celebrating the walk-off in 2020 style -- hands in the air, about six feet apart and not touching anyone as they jumped up and down. Out of habit, Wong looked around for a water jug about to be splashed on him before joining in on the jumping circle the Cardinals had formed around him.

“It’s weird, man, honestly,” Wong said. “I almost ran down and got the jug myself and threw it on myself.”

Despite the “unique” celebration, as manager Mike Shildt called it, the Cardinals were just glad to be celebrating. Down two runs in the ninth inning of their first home game in close to four weeks, the Cardinals scored three in a comeback against Reds relievers Raisel Iglesias and Nate Jones.

After Brad Miller was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth, Tyler O'Neill followed with a walk and Fowler singled to load the bases. Yadier Molina, in his first game back after close to three weeks on the COVID-19 injured list, hit a chopper to shortstop that Iglesias swatted at, which allowed a run to score and Molina to safely reach first. Iglesias’ balk tied the game, 4-4, giving the Cardinals their first walk-off scenario of the year.

With one out, Wong came to the plate 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on the night against starter Sonny Gray and reliever Lucas Sims. He was greeted with a five-man infield and the right-hander Jones on the mound, looking for a ground ball out of Wong.

“You take a chance there, with a ground ball. You do have a chance to get the guy at the plate than if a fly ball is hit,” Reds manager David Bell said. “So at that point in the game, you’re just taking a shot, really. Your back’s up against the wall.”

Wong took two balls, fouled off a 96 mph sinker and then drove another 96 mph sinker deep to right-center field, out of Travis Jankowski's reach

“Kinda got crushed in the beginning of the game,” Wong said. “Sonny made some really good pitches, so did Sims. It was one of those things where I kind of looked at my ABs and I knew that they were just making good pitches on me. I felt like my swing was there. I felt like I was swinging at mostly good pitches and just, you know, it was one of those games.

“Just wanted to stay locked in because I knew that there was a chance for me to come up in the ninth and wanted to stay ready, stay positive, and try to finish this on a high note.”

Wong’s approach at the plate that inning was a representation of the Cardinals all night, Shildt said -- and really, all week. After playing eight games in five days in Chicago, they returned home Thursday for a four-game series against the Reds and no off-day in sight. They trailed early after defensive miscues in the first inning allowed two runs to score (both unearned) off starter Adam Wainwright. But the Cardinals plated two runs in the second, thanks to Molina’s two-run single in his first at-bat back after close to three weeks on the COVID-19 injured list.

Wainwright kept the Cardinals within striking distance despite a lengthy first three innings that saw two more runs score. After Mike Moustakas’ RBI double in the third, Wainwright retired the next 15 batters to get through seven innings on 97 pitches. He allowed four runs (two earned), struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.

“This group plays eight games in five days and comes back home and [is] there right until the end,” Shildt said. “That’s a special trait for a team to do that. [Wong] could have easily gone, ‘Hey, I punched out three times.’ But he stuck with his plan, put a good swing on it. It was a really impressive at-bat. Representative of how the team competes.”