ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright allowed two runs in seven innings, Tyler O’Neill homered twice and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 8-2 Wednesday night to stop a six-game losing streak.
O’Neill hit a 451-foot, two-run homer in the third off Phil Maton and a solo homer in the seventh against Trevor Stephan, helping the Cardinals avoid what would have been their first seven-game skid since June 2017. O’Neill leads St. Louis with 15 homers and 32 RBIs.
Matt Carpenter drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double and Paul Goldschmidt had a solo homer for the Cardinals, who won for just the second time in their last 10 games.
Wainwright (4-5), at 39 the oldest active player in the National League, won for the second time in five starts.
He fell behind 2-0 in the first on Eddie Rosario’s RBI double and Harold Ramírez’s sacrifice fly, then followed with six hitless innings, retiring 11 in a row at one stretch. He struck out six and walked none.
After leading for only 2 1/2 innings during its skid, the Cardinals ahead to stay with a four-run first.
Yadier Molina, who returned to the lineup from a bruised knee, drew two-out walk in a 10-pitch at-bat with the bases loaded and Carpenter followed with a bases-clearing double that chased J.C. Mejia (1-1) from his second big league start.
After the first inning, one Cleveland batter reached against Wainwright, Génesis Cabrera and Ryan Helsley.
BATTERYMATES
Wainwright and Molina made their 284th career start as battery mates, passing the Dodgers combo of Don Drysdale and John Roseboro (1957-67) for fourth since 1908, when records of that category began.
HIT BY PITCH
Wainwright hit a Bradley Zimmer with a pitch in the fifth inning after hitting a career-high three in his previous start. He has seven hit batters, two shy of us career high in 2007. St. Louis pitchers lead the major leagues with 50 in 62 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: OF Jordan Luplow (left ankle) has resumed some baseball activities including running.
Cardinals: SS Paul DeJong (non-displaced rib fracture) went 0 for 5 in a doubleheader for Triple-A Memphis and was to return to St. Louis for an evaluation. St. Louis may activate him during a series starting Friday at the Chicago Cubs.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Aaron Civale (8-2, 3.49) starts Friday’s series opener against visiting Seattle.
Cardinals: RHP Johan Oviedo (0-2, 5.25) is to start the series opener at Wrigley Field.
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