Albert Pujols got two hits,, increasing his total to 3,335. He twice narrowly missed homering, flying out to Tommy Pham a step short of the left-field wall and hitting a drive that curved just foul.
O’Neill broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run shot to straightaway center field in the fourth off Mike Minor (1-7), who lost his fifth straight decision. Goldschmidt followed with his team-high 22nd homer.
Goldschmidt reached 1,000 RBIs in the third, when he and O’Neill hit RBI singles for a 2-0 lead.
Steve Matz (4-3) won for the first time since May 2, returning from a left shoulder impingement that had sidelined him since May 22. But the left-hander left after straining his left knee in the sixth while trying to field Joey Votto’s dribbler up the first-base line. Matz allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Ryan Helsley got four outs, striking out the side in the ninth for his ninth save in 12 chance.
Cincinnati has lost four of six following a season-best five-game winning streak.
Brandon Drury hit a two-run double off the left-center field wall in the third. Jonathan India ran through a stop sign to score from first with a head-irst slide.
Mike Minor (1-7) gave up five runs, eight hits and four walks. He is 0-5 in his last six starts, and his ERA rose to 6.65
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: OF Harrison Bader (planter fasciitis, right heel) went 1 for 3 as Triple-A Memphis’s designated hitter in the first game of his rehab assignment. He was not in the Chicks’ lineup on Saturday. The 2021 Gold Glove center fielder has been sidelined since June 27.
Reds: There remains no timetable on the return of C Aramis Garcia (left middle finger soreness), according to manager David Bell. Garcia has been out since July 7, and the loss on Friday of catcher Tyler Stephenson with a fractured right clavicle further hampers Cincinnati’s depth.
UP NEXT
Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (7-7, 2.54) allowed one run and three hits over seven innings of an 11-3 win over Cincinnati on July 16. Reds RHP Tyler Mahle (6-11, 4.48) is expected to make his first start since July 2. He has been out with a right shoulder strain.
About the Author