CINCINNATI Dexter Fowler homered for the third straight game while Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong also homered as St. Louis gained ground in their National League playoff push by beating Cincinnati 9-2 Wednesday night.
Tommy Pham finished with two doubles, a single and two RBIs and Yadier Molina added a two-run double as the third-place Cardinals (79-72) gained a game on first-place Chicago and second-place Milwaukee in the Central Division and on Colorado in the wild-card race. St. Louis trails the Cubs by five games in the N.L. Central and are 2 1/2 games behind the Rockies for the second wild card spot.
Rookie right-hander Luke Weaver retired 10 straight batters in one stretch on the way to his seventh straight winning start, the major leagues longest active streak.
According to post-game notes provided by the Reds, Weaver is the first Cardinals starting pitcher to have seven consecutive wins in a season since Matt Morris in 2001 and the first St. Louis rookie to do so since Ted Walks in 1944.
The 24-year-old rookie allowed five hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings. He credited his curveball with helping make up for an inconsistent changeup.
Weaver (7-1) has fanned seven or more batters in each of his last seven starts.
Carpenter led off the game with his 21st homer. Fowler followed Phams RBI double in the third with a two-run shot into the right field seats. It was his career-high 18th homer of the season. DeJong added his team-high 24th, the Cardinals second set of back-to-back homers in two nights.
The Reds broke up Weavers shutout bid with a two-run fifth. Patrick Kivlehans drove in Jose Peraza from first with a double and scored on Jesse Winkers single.
Rookie Davis (1-3) gave up all three homers and five runs on five hits with three strikeouts in three innings.
The three-game series wraps up Thursday night in Cincinnati. Carlos Martinez (11-11) starts for the Cardinals while Homer Bailey (5-8) goes for the Reds. Game time is 6:10 with the pre-game at 5:15 on KTLO-AM.
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