Reds Rout Cardinals in 12-1 Series Finale

It was a pretty Easter Sunday weather wise in Cincinnati, with sunshine and a temperature near 70 degrees. Other than that, there wasn’t much of a positive side to the day for the Cardinals, who fell to the Reds by a 12-1 final score.

Carlos Martinez started on Sunday for St. Louis and had perhaps the best start of the series for the Cardinals. Martinez made it through five innings on 77 pitches (50 strikes) and allowed four earned runs — three on Nick Castellanos’s second homer of the year.

Ryan Helsley entered the game in relief of Martinez and gave up four runs on two hits and two walks, recording just one out of the five batters he faced. Tyler Webb and Genesis Cabrera followed Helsley, and they surrendered two runs apiece. Andrew Miller worked a three-up, three-down eighth inning, but the damage was already done. Castellanos drove in three runs, as mentioned above, and Tyler Naquin had a three-run homer of his own; Naquin hit his off Webb. Catcher Tyler Stephenson, in his first start of the series, went 3-for-4 and scored three runs.

Nick Castellanos, Tyler Naquin homer as Reds pound Cardinals 12-1 - Red Reporter

There is not much to talk about when it comes to the Cardinals’ offensive performance on Sunday afternoon. St. Louis scored one run on five hits, with Yadier Molina’s fifth-inning single scoring Tyler O’Neill. (At the time, Yadi’s hit tied the game..) One ‘plus’ side of a lopsided game meant the bench guys got some action. Andrew Knizner got work behind the plate, Edmundo Sosa took over at third base, and John Nogowski played some first.

The Cardinals will head back to Florida, this time to Miami, for a three-game date with the Marlins starting on Monday. Daniel Ponce de Leon will get the nod for St. Louis, opposite of Trevor Rogers. First pitch with the Marlins is set for 5:40 PM Central Time.