Martinez pitches 6 sparkling innings as the Reds beat the Cardinals 3-1 for their 5th straight win

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched six sparkling innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.

Martinez (1-3) allowed one run and five hits in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Graham Ashcraft and Tony Santillan each got three outs before Emilio Pagán finished the five-hitter for his eighth save.

Jose Trevino homered for Cincinnati, and Noelvi Marte drove in the go-ahead run with his first career triple.

Reds star Elly De La Cruz doubled in the first to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, and Gavin Lux collected three hits, including two doubles, to run his hitting streak to a career-best 12.

St. Louis right-hander Andre Pallante (2-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.

St. Louis Cardinals’ Andre Pallante delivers a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

Lars Nootbaar doubled and scored on Nolan Arenado’s two-out double in the first against Martinez. But the Reds tied it when Trevino hit a leadoff drive in the third for his second homer.

Lux singled and scored on Marte’s triple in the fourth, and Lux doubled home Austin Hays in the sixth.

Cincinnati’s Matt McLain singled in the seventh to end a career-worst 0-for-21 slump.

Key moment

The Cardinals had two on and nobody out in the fifth. Trevino pounced on a Masyn Winn bunt and threw to third for the first out, and Martinez escaped the jam when he induced a double-play grounder from Nootbaar.

Cincinnati Reds’ Gavin Lux slides into second base after hitting a double in the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

Key stat

Cincinnati began the day tied for third in the majors with 150 runs scored, and its starting pitchers boasted the fifth-best ERA at 3.39.

Up next

Miles Mikolas (0-2, 5.70 ERA) starts Tuesday for the Cardinals. Brady Singer (4-0, 3.62 ERA) goes for the Reds, who have scored 42 runs in his five starts.