Victor Scott II went 3-for-4 and Bryan Torres cracked a 2-run homer in his major league debut as the St. Louis Cardinals claimed an 8-1 win over the host Cincinnati Reds on Saturday in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader.
Starting pitcher Andre Pallante (5-4) gave up one run on two hits in six innings and Ivan Herrera went 2-for-3 with two runs for the Cardinals, who snapped a two-game slide.
Starter Chris Paddack (0-6) yielded three runs on seven hits for the Reds, who had won two in a row.
Nathaniel Lowe led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to right to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.
St. Louis responded in the top of the third and never looked back.
JJ Wetherholt and Herrera walked and Alec Burleson followed with a single that deflected off the glove of shortstop Elly De La Cruz into center field. Wetherholt scored to tie it 1-1.
Jordan Walker grounded into a forceout that scored Herrera and put the Cardinals ahead.
In the fourth, Masyn Winn and the 28-year-old Torres singled – the first big-league hit for the 11-year minor-leaguer. Scott loaded the bases with a single to right.
Wetherholt knocked a single that went off Lowe’s glove into right, allowing Winn to score for a 3-1 advantage.
St. Louis added two runs in the seventh against reliever Connor Phillips. Herrera drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Walker then belted a home run over the wall in right-center to make it 5-1.
In the eighth, Scott singled and scored on Herrera’s triple to deep right center to push it to 6-1.
Torres launched a two-run shot to right-center to extend it to 8-1 in the ninth.
The Reds struggled to get anything going after the second, when they notched both of their hits. Pallante retired the final 13 batters he faced, then reliever Ryan Stanek got two outs in the seventh before walking Eugenio Suarez.
–Field Level Media
