In the nighttime contest, Contreras belts a 3-run home run in the initial inning, securing a 6-0 Cardinals victory and a 9-1 sweep over the Reds.
CINCINNATI - The St. Louis Cardinals capitalized on a shaky major league debut from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Petty, sweeping a doubleheader on Wednesday with a 6-0 and 9-1 victory in the second game.
In the first inning of the second contest, Willson Contreras and Pedro Pagés each hit a three-run home run off Petty. Pagés' blast was his second of the season, coming on the 11th pitch of his at-bat. The Cardinals went on to win 9-1, improving their road record to 3-13 on the year.
Petty, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2021 amateur draft and traded to the Reds in March 2022, allowed nine runs, seven hits, and two walks over 2.1 innings in the outing. The 22-year-old right-hander struggled to find his footing against the Cardinals, striking out only three batters.
Steven Matz started for the Cardinals and pitched well, allowing five hits with no walks and six strikeouts over four scoreless innings. His ERA now stands at 1.50.
Gordon Graceffo earned his first major league win, giving up one run and two hits in five innings of relief work, including five strikeouts and no walks. He averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball.
The Cardinals had swept a rain-delayed doubleheader the previous day, beating the Reds 6-0 in the nightcap. Cincinnati finished the day 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
In the first game, the Cardinals hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning to walk off with the win.
Reds' right-hander Hunter Greene (3-2, 2.70) will opposing Cardinals' left-hander Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 3.19) in the series finale on Thursday.
Petty, the youngest Reds pitcher to appear in a game since Homer Bailey in 2007, has had a challenging start to his major league career, giving up nine runs combined in his two outings before being sent back to Triple-A for further development.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Pedro Paige's three-run home run, his second of the season, came off Petty in the first inning, showcasing a struggle for the young pitcher in his MLB debut. Later in the series, Petty, who was previously traded to the Reds after being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2021, will oppose Matthew Liberatore of the Cardinals in the series finale on Thursday.
