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Carpenter shuts down Reds

Jul 17, 2011 - 3:27 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Chris Carpenter went eight gritty innings and Albert Pujols belted a three-run homer to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Carpenter (5-7) yielded just one run on seven hits and three walks while fanning seven and moved to 14-4 lifetime against the Reds.

Fernando Salas worked around a Drew Stubbs single to record his 17th save of the season.

Jon Jay went 3-for-4 and knocked in a run for the Cardinals, who have won three of four.

Bronson Arroyo (7-8) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five over 6 2/3 innings.

"He started out good," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He had good command, good velocity and his breaking stuff was good, he just made a couple mistakes."

Joey Votto drove in the lone run for the Reds, who won Friday's series opener, 6-5, behind Brandon Phillips' walkoff two-run homer.

Carpenter walked Stubbs with one down in the third and was visibly vexed after Edgar Renteria followed with an infield single to the right of the mound.

Votto then drove home Stubbs with a line drive single to left and Phillips followed with a grounder back to the mound. Carpenter fielded the ball cleanly but threw it into the dirt attempting to get the force at second, allowing the Reds to load the bases.

He escaped further damage, however, inducing Jay Bruce into an inning-ending double play.

In an effort to help himself, Carpenter began the fifth with a double into the left-center gap, but was cut down attempting to take third on Skip Schumaker's ensuing grounder to second.

Following a Daniel Descalso fly out, Jay laid a bunt down the third base line and Arroyo threw the ball away attempting to get Jay at first.

Pujols capitalized, belting his second homer in as many nights to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead.

The Cardinals added one in the seventh when Schumaker reached with a single, advanced to second on Descalso's groundout and crossed the plate on Jay's single up the middle.

The Reds were left wanting in the eighth.

Votto reached on an error by Descalso to begin the frame. Carpenter then retired the next two batters before Scott Rolen ripped a grounder to third. Nick Punto, who was inserted at the start of the inning, fielded the ball, but sailed his throw well over first, allowing the Reds to place runners on second and third.

Undaunted, Carpenter took his frustration out on Chris Heisey, falling behind 0-3 before battling back to notch a crucial strikeout.

"In that eighth inning [Carpenter] reached so deep to get those last three outs," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. "He's very special."

Game Notes

The Reds stranded 10 and were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position...Entering the game, St. Louis had lost four straight to the Reds in Cincinnati.