The Cardinals, who hold a whopping major league lead in walks issued by pitchers, yielded just two free passes, both by reliever Daniel Ponce de Leon, on Thursday night. But Adam Wainwright, who didn’t walk anybody in a generally stout seven innings, hit two consecutive hitters in the first inning, extending the Cardinals’ lead in that department, too.
One of Ponce de Leon’s walks in the eighth scored after a double by Tucker Barnhart. The second of Wainwright’s total of three hit batsmen forced home a run. And, although Wainwright was touched otherwise only by a two-run homer by Jesse Winker in the second and although the Cardinals turned in several standout defensive plays, the free bases contributed significantly to the Reds’ 4-2 victory at Busch Stadium.
Wainwright, teaming with battery mate Yadier Molina for a 284th start, fourth on the all-time list, allowed just four hits over his final five innings and he kept the game from going sideways in the first.
