CINCINNATI (AP) – Jose Martinez drove in six runs Thursday night and Yadier Molina homered in his return from a one-game suspension, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to a 13-4 victory that left the Cincinnati Reds mired in their worst start since 1955.
The Cardinals homered a season-high four times while piling up a season high in runs. The Reds helped by walking 11 batters, three of them with the bases loaded.
The Reds fell to 2-10, the worst record in the majors and their worst start since an identical mark in 1955.
Infielder Cliff Pennington pitched the ninth for Cincinnati and gave up a pair of walks and Martinez’s second RBI single of the game.
Paul DeJong’s solo shot deep into the upper deck in center off Austin Brice (0-2) snapped a 4-4 tie in the sixth. Martinez and Molina hit back-to-back drives in the seventh, when St. Louis put it away with seven runs. Martinez added a two-run double in the inning.
Michael Wacha (2-1) went five innings and extended his streak of beating Cincinnati. The right-hander is 9-1 career against the Reds. The Cardinals have won Wacha’s last 11 starts against the Reds since Sept. 20, 2014.
Molina served a one-game suspension on Wednesday for making contact with plate umpire Tim Timmons during an altercation with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. Molina singled home a run in the first inning off Sal Romano and connected for his fourth homer in the seventh.
Marcell Ozuna also had a solo shot that extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
