CINCINNATI -- Coming off the field after a top of the fifth inning that could have gone sideways for him, Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez couldn't contain his excitement. Martinez's defense kept the Cardinals from scoring and helped support his long-awaited first win of the season.
Cincinnati¡¯s 3-1 victory over the Cardinals on Monday at Great American Ball Park extended the club's winning streak to a season-high five games as it improved to 16-13.
"All night, guys played some phenomenal defense," Martinez said. "They played phenomenal behind me. That stuff is contagious and it leaks into at-bats.¡±
Martinez gave up one run and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts while throwing 76 pitches. In six starts, he is 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA. The Reds had dropped all five of his previous outings.
The Reds held a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning when Pedro Pag¨¦s led off with a double to right field, then Victor Scott II followed with a four-pitch walk from Martinez.
In a 2-1 count, Masyn Wynn attempted a sacrifice bunt on the grass in front of home plate. Catcher Jose Trevino quickly collected the ball and fired to third base to get Pag¨¦s on a force out.
¡°That was huge. That changes the whole game," Reds manager Terry Francona said.
On the next pitch, Lars Nootbar hit a 104.9 mph rocket of a grounder to the right side. Second baseman Matt McLain picked it perfectly and threw to Elly De La Cruz before the shortstop turned the inning-ending double play.
"You're hoping for a crooked number there, especially with the way [Nootbaar] has been swinging it at the top of the lineup, if we get those guys over and get them in. But that didn't happen," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.
Martinez let out a yell and pointed his glove to the middle infielders.
¡°I was jacked up, yeah," Martinez said. ¡°I love that kind of stuff. It fires me up.¡±
"Trevino¡¯s play was sick. A heads-up play. He¡¯s great back there," McLain said. "To be able to follow that up and get a double play was good.¡±
That was one of three double plays turned by the Reds' infield. The Cardinals had just one more baserunner the rest of the game -- when Brandon Donovan walked in the sixth against Martinez. But he was erased when Nolan Arenado grounded to Noelvi Marte at third base for another inning-ending double play.
There were other nice plays, including center fielder TJ Friedl making a sliding catch on a shallow fly ball to take a hit away from Nolan Gorman in the fourth inning.
¡°[Martinez] was efficient. He was working, attacking the hitters. It¡¯s fun to play defense behind Nick," McLain said.
It was the latest game that highlighted an improved Reds defense this season. Last year in defensive efficiency -- which is the percentage of balls converted into outs -- Cincinnati was tied for 14th in MLB at .702%. Entering Monday, the Reds were tops in MLB with a .749%.
Last season, the Reds' defense was at -30 in defensive runs saved. So far this season, it is +1.
Against Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, the Reds took a 2-1 lead in the third inning on Trevino's leadoff home run to left-center field. A hot-hitting Marte provided the go-ahead run in the fourth inning with his one-out RBI triple through the gap in left-center field that scored Gavin Lux.
Lux also kept up his recent offensive surge with a 3-for-4 night. His one-out, opposite-field double landed inside the left-field line and scored Austin Hays to make it a two-run game.
Francona opted for Graham Ashcraft and his bullpen in the seventh inning after Martinez threw only 76 pitches. Ashcraft struck out the side, kicking off a stretch where Reds relievers retired all nine of their batters faced.
¡°[Martinez] got us to a point in the game where I thought, ¡®Let¡¯s give Ashcraft a clean inning,'" Francona said. "Nick had done his job. You could see how excited he was. He was out on the field after the game.¡±
It was a good first game at home for the Reds to handle, coming off a 6-3 road trip to Baltimore, Miami and Colorado.
¡°It was good to keep carrying the momentum into the home series after a 10-day road trip that was kind of grindy," Lux said. "I think this was the best we¡¯ve played all year so far.¡±