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Wong’s slam paces Cardinals’ 4-1 win over Reds

The 27-year-old has allowed two runs over 22 innings during his winning streak, racking up 18 strikeouts compared to three walks over that span. Leake is 4-7 with a 4.75 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts) against the Cardinals, including a tough-luck loss on April 19 at St. Louis in which he allowed two runs in an eight-inning complete game. Wong fouled one just out of play, and then unloaded on a 92 miles per hour fastball, sending it out to right for 11th home run and second career grand slam.

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Iglesias said through a translator he struck out Wong the prior at-bat on “two bad pitches”, but the St. Louis leadoff man didn’t bite the next time.

Wong made a great adjustment during the at-bat. “So I have to come back with something hard in the middle, and you saw the outcome”. The Cardinals are looking to add reinforcements through the trade market to help preserve their 6 1/2-game lead in the National League Central, but they’ll get back a key piece from the disabled list with Jaime Garcia taking the mound Tuesday.

Lance Lynn picked up his 8th win over the season and limited the damage to the just one run over seven innings. He has won five of his past six decisions overall.

“My fastball command was awful tonight, all night really”, Lynn said. He lofted the eighth pitch of it to center for a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Trevor Rosenthal earned his 31st save in 33 chances after getting two days off.

“We didn’t do our job when we had the chance to, and they did their job”, Billy Hamilton said.

The starting pitcher combined to hit five batters. Iglesias hit two in 34 2-3 innings prior to this start.

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Kolten Wong is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a grand slam during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, July 27, 2015, in St. Louis. “Our moment was bases loaded, nobody out and a sacrifice fly and a double play, so those are moments that are game changers”. Yadier Molina doubled, and Stephen Piscotty singled to start the inning. Bourjos was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, setting the stage for Wong’s slam. An MRI showed no serious injury, and manager Mike Matheny said Grichuk might get another day off, too. But the Reds got nothing going against Lynn in the fourth, fifth or sixth.

St. Louis Cardinals Kolten Wong swings hitting a grand slam home run in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis