Diaz, with heavy heart, powers Cards past Reds

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ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Playing with a heavy heart, Aledmys Diaz hit his first career

grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals finished with five home runs Tuesday

night in a 12-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.



Chasing the Giants and Mets in a tight race for the two NL wild cards, St.

Louis moved within a half-game of San Francisco for the league’s final playoff

spot _ pending the Giants’ late game against Colorado.



New York, which beat Miami 12-1, leads the wild-card standings and remained 1

1/2 games ahead of the Cardinals.



Jhonny Peralta had a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the Cardinals,

who had lost four of five. Matt Carpenter, Randal Grichuk and Matt Adams also

homered.



Game three of the four-game series is Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. Mike

Leake (9-11) starts for the Cardinals while Anthony DeSclafani (8-5) goes for

the Reds. Game time is 7:15 with the pre-game at 6:20 on KTLO-AM.

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