Finnegan gives up threehomers, Reds lose 10-2

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Even though he gave up six runs in five innings, Cincinnati Reds rookie Brandon Finnegan didn’t think he pitched that poorly.

Matt Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals were just that good, Finnegan said

Carpenter hit a pair of two-run homers off Finnegan, and Randal Grichuk had a solo shot with two outs in the second inning that started the barrage Wednesday night as the Cardinals rolled to a 10-2 victory over the Reds.

“They’re a really good hitting team and they showed it,” said Finnegan, who allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out seven. “I made good pitches and they made good swings. That is a great team and there’s a reason they’re first in the division.”

Cincinnati fell into last place in the NL Central, a half-game behind Milwaukee.

Reds manager Bryan Price said the left-handed Finnegan’s mistakes were leaving pitches low and inside to the left-handed-hitting Carpenter.

“It was one of those days they were able to get to the power to create their runs,” Price said. “It wasn’t going out there throwing five innings and giving up 11 hits. It was a matter of having guys on and Carpenter being able to get to those pitches he can leverage. He didn’t miss them.”

Finnegan (1-1), acquired from Kansas City in the Johnny Cueto trade, won his first start at Milwaukee last week by giving up one run in five innings.

“I’m not disappointed in what I’ve seen from Brandon regardless of what happened today,” Price said. “He’s got good stuff.”

The Reds trailed 9-0 before Joey Votto homered in the seventh on the first pitch from reliever Tyler Lyons. Votto also singled while extending his streak of reaching base safely to 40 games. Ivan DeJesus Jr. tripled in Skip Schumaker for the Reds’ other run in the ninth.

St. Louis starter Lance Lynn (12-10) limited Cincinnati to three singles in six innings and allowed only one runner to reach second base. The Reds trailed 9-0 after six innings.

“It was a beating,” Price said. “We were never really in it. We got down so far early, it was a daunting task to get back into it. It wasn’t a well-played game.”

The Cardinals improved to a major league-best 96-56 with their fourth straight win and maintained their four-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

Peter Bourjos’ homer off Jumbo Diaz in the seventh gave St. Louis its first four-homer game of the season.

St. Louis catcher Travis Tartamella singled in his first major league at-bat in the eighth.

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