Cardinals stop Reds in 10 innings in series opener

~ Peralta delivers game-winning hit for 6-5 victory

ST. LOUIS -- Walking Billy Hamilton to start the ninth inning was a bad sign for Trevor Rosenthal. For the second straight game, the St. Louis Cardinals picked up their young closer.

"We're digging our heels in," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said after Jhonny Peralta singled in the winning run in the 10th for a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. "That's what I love about this club."

Jay Bruce homered, doubled and knocked in four runs for the Reds, giving him nine RBIs in four games. Brandon Phillips returned from left thumb surgery wearing a brace and was 0 for 4 with a walk.

The Reds have dropped seven of nine and are 18-30 in one-run games.

St. Louis Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta is congratulated by teammates after scoring the go ahead run on an RBI single by A.J. Pierzynski during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)

Peralta had three hits, and his RBI single in the first inning was just his second in 32 at-bats against the Reds this season. He also doubled and scored the tying run on A.J. Pierzynski's hit off Jumbo Diaz in the eighth.

"When we win like that, everybody gets excited," Peralta said.

Logan Ondrusek (3-3) entered with one out in the 10th and gave up consecutive singles to Matt Holliday, Matt Adams and Peralta. Ondrusek (strained right shoulder) was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day.

"I wanted to go with more of the fresh arm there, and this isn't Logan's first time around the block and his first time here," manager Bryan Price said. "It just didn't happen tonight."

Bruce doubled off Rosenthal to tie it in the ninth after Hamilton drew a leadoff walk, then stole his 46th base and went to third with one out. Rosenthal was pulled after walking the bases full with one out on Sunday, and Seth Maness finished for his second save.

Rosenthal has allowed four runs over 2 1/3 innings in his last three outings.

"It was actually not that bad, we just walked the wrong guy," Matheny said. "You put that guy on base, we're in straight defense mode trying to figure out how to limit the damage."

Maness retired Zack Cozart on a foul pop with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth.

Bruce's three-run homer, his 14th shot of the season, capped a four-run fifth against Justin Masterson for a 4-3 lead.

Pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso's RBI double off Mike Leake tied it in the seventh.

Noteworthy

* Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was unavailable and is day to day with shoulder soreness, a day after he walked four straight batters before getting pulled in the first game of a doubleheader at Colorado.

* Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha, on the DL since mid-June with a shoulder injury, got positive reviews from his latest bullpen session Monday.

* John Lackey (1-1, 6.18) makes his fourth start for the Cardinals today since coming from Boston in a trade, and faces the Reds for just the second time in his career. He is 12-8 with a 3.19 overall and 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA against NL teams this year. Alfredo Simon (12-8, 3.28) will makes his 14th appearance against the Cardinals and first start. He is 15-3 with a 2.70 in 18 career starts before the All-Star break and 0-5 with a 5.46 ERA in six starts after the break.

* Holliday, Billy Hamilton and Oscar Taveras made nice catches at the wall in left, center and right, respectively.