— Andrew Abbott retired the final 18 batters he faced in seven commanding innings, and the Cincinnati Reds avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Jose Trevino, Jake Fraley and Elly de la Cruz each doubled and scored, and Matt McLain hit his ninth home run for the Reds.
The Cardinals had a five-game winning streak snapped.
Trevino doubled and scored on Fraley’s liner to the right-center field gap that put the Reds ahead 2-1 in the fifth. After a passed ball, Fraley scored on TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly.
Cincinnati extended the lead when de la Cruz doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on Gavin Lux’s RBI groundout.
Abbott (7-1) allowed only three singles, including Yohel Pozo’s RBI single in the second inning. The Cardinals didn’t have another base runner until Taylor Rogers issued a one-out walk to Jose Barrero in the eighth.
Miles Mikolas (4-5) allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings for St. Louis. He struck out six and walked one.
The Cardinals host the Cubs on Monday night the first meeting of the division rivals this season, with St. Louis LHP Matthew Liberatore (4-6, 4.08 ERA) set to start, 5:50 with the pregame and the first pitch at 6:45 on KIRX.