Holmberg solid, bats still silent. STL 2, CIN 1.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

David Holmberg brushed off the rough first few outings of his career, and turned in a quality start against the St. Louis Cardinals despite allowing a pair of 1st inning dingers.  Holmberg settled in after the early jitters and kept the filthy Cards off the board through the remainder of his 6 innings, and genuinely kept them off-balance with a good mix of offspeed pitches and good location.  His final line was 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, which was plenty good enough to take home the JNMHSotG when the offense again napped its way through the evening.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Zack Cozart, who had a pair of hits, drove in the only Cincinnati Reds run of the evening, and turned a single into a double despite what wonky umps and wonkier replay had to say; Pedro Villareal & Sam LeCure, who both turned in scoreless outings from the bullpen; and Brandon Phillips, who whacked a pair of singles while playing his usual brilliant 2B.

Key Plays

• After the Reds were retired quickly in the Top of the 1st, a shaky Holmberg left a pair of meatballs up in the zone to Randal Grichuk and Matt Holliday in the Bottom of the 1st, and both launched solo dingers to give the Cards all they'd need on the night.  Reds trailed, 2-0.
• Cozart's single in the Top of the 2nd got the Reds their run, as it scored Devin Mesoraco after a series of singles, but his non-TOOTBLAN that was called and upheld as a TOOTBLAN ended the only real threat of the evening.  Reds lose, 2-1.