Andre Pallante took a shutout into the sixth inning in his second major league start, helping the St. Louis Cardinals snap a three-game skid with a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Pallante (2-0) allowed four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings and had four strikeouts.
Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his fourth save in six chances.
Luis Castillo (2-4) allowed two first inning runs, one earned, on six hits in six innings as Cincinnati dropped its third straight.
St. Louis scored both runs in the first courtesy of two Cincinnati errors, then pitching took care of the rest.
The Cardinals activated OF Dylan Carlson from the 10-day injured list and optioned OF Lars Nootbaar to Triple-A Memphis.
Yadier Molina was held out of the lineup with general soreness, but Oliver Marmol expects him to be in the lineup Saturday to catch longtime battery mate RHP Adam Wainwright, 12:20 with the pregame and the first pitch at 1:15 on KIRX.
Washington beat the Brewers 11-5, so the Cardinals climb into first place in the NL Central, a half a game ahead of Milwaukee.