CINCINNATI - Carlos Martinez kept getting himself into trouble and his defense kept bailing him out.
Randal Grichuk and Kolten Wong homered, and Martinez carried a shutout into the seventh inning with the help of some timely double plays as the St. Louis Cardinals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
“Every time a runner gets on base, I just increase my focus,” Martinez said. “I was a little bit fatigued, but I never lost focus.”
Yadier Molina had two of the five hits for the Cardinals, who avoided being swept in Cincinnati for the first time since July 2012.