CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds ended an 11-game losing streak, their longest in six years, jumping to a first-inning lead and beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Sunday as former first-round draft pick Nick Lodolo got his first major league win.
Colin Moran drove in two runs for the Reds, who had been 0-4 at home this year and had not won anywhere since April 10 in Atlanta. Cincinnati had been outscored 68-20 during the skid.
The win left the Reds a major league-worst 3-13.
Tyler Naquin doubled on the second pitch from Adam Wainwright (2-2), who walked Tommy Pham and Joey Votto with one out. Moran hit a sacrifice fly and Nick Senzel followed with an RBI single.
Alejo López singled leading off the second and scored on Naquin’s RBI grounder for a 3-0 lead.
Lodolo (1-2), a 24-year-old left-hander selected seventh overall in the 2019 amateur draft, made his third big league start. He allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none in 5 1/3 shutout innings before Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill hit consecutive doubles in the sixth. Lodolo retired Nolan Arenado on a flyout, and Tony Santillan got Albert Pujols to pop out.
Lodolo has 15 strikeouts in a combined 10 2/3 innings over his last two starts.
Santillan and Art Warren combined for 2 1/3 innings shutout innings, and Lucas Sims pitched a perfect ninth for his first save this season.
Arenado went 0 for 4, ending his hitting streak at Great American Ball Park at 18 games, a stadium record.
The Reds avoided their longest losing streak since dropping 13 straight in 2015.
