Jonathan India doubled twice in his eighth straight game with multiple hits, helping the Cincinnati Reds defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 on Saturday.
India scored one run and drove in two more. He has hit at least one double in each of his last seven games, batting .512 (21 for 41) with one home run and six RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.
“He looks impressive in every aspect of his game,” remarked Reds manager David Bell. “He’s moving well physically, and we’ve always known he can hit. Despite being relatively new, he continues to improve.”
Austin Wynns hit three doubles in his first Major League game since October 1, playing for Colorado against Minnesota. Elly De La Cruz contributed with a double and a triple, while Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild each drove in two runs.
Paul Goldschmidt hit his 11th home run for St. Louis, who defeated Cincinnati 1-0 the previous day. Sonny Gray (9-5) of the Cardinals allowed six runs (three earned) and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Cincinnati (39-44) broke open the game by sending 10 batters to the plate in a six-run fifth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, De La Cruz scored when third baseman Nolan Arenado mishandled a potential double-play grounder.
“It just wasn’t our day,” Gray commented. “Once that fifth inning started the way it did, the momentum shifted completely after Marte’s at-bat. We were on the edge of it, and then it all went their way.”
Fairchild and Benson followed with consecutive two-run singles against John King, and Wynns capped the inning with a double that brought home Benson for an 8-1 lead.
“Our hitters had a great approach against Sonny,” Bell noted. “They stayed focused on hitting line drives to the middle of the field. It’s rewarding when we don’t rely solely on home runs to score runs.”
