Reds fend off Cards' comeback

~ St. Louis fell 5-4 after spotting Cincinnati a four-run lead over the first two innings

ST. LOUIS -- Journeyman fill-in Justin Lehr worked into the seventh inning to win his second straight outing, and Alex Gonzalez matched his career high with four hits in the Cincinnati Reds' 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Laynce Nix had a two-run double in a three-run first inning against stand-in starter Mitchell Boggs (1-1), helping end the NL Central leaders' four-game winning streak. Francisco Cordero allowed a run and two hits in the ninth before getting Matt Holliday on a called third strike with the tying run on second for his 25th save in 26 chances.

Albert Pujols hit his major league-leading 37th homer in the eighth, ending a 1-for-18 slump at home. Yadier Molina's RBI double in the eighth was his third hit and Holliday singled three times as the Cardinals finished with 15 hits.

Coming off a four-hit shutout against the Cubs in his second career start, Lehr (2-0) allowed one run and 11 hits, leaving after Brendan Ryan's leadoff single in the seventh.

The Cardinals had two hits in each of the first four innings, but were limited to Ryan Ludwick's third-inning RBI single while grounding into one double play and running into a second when the slow-footed Molina was an easy out trying to score on Skip Schumaker's flyout to medium left on Johnny Gomes' strong relay.

Lehr was recalled from Class AAA Louisville on Aug. 1 to replace the injured Micah Owings in the rotation. In five career appearances against the Cardinals, the first four in relief, the 32-year-old right-hander has limited the Cardinals to one run in 11 innings.

The Reds jumped on Boggs, recalled from Class AAA Memphis to replace the injured Todd Wellemeyer, with three runs and four hits in the first. Chris Dickerson and Gonzalez opened the game with singles and Gomes beat out an infield hit for an RBI.

Dickerson, activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day, tripled with one out in the second after rookie center fielder Colby Rasmus appeared to misjudge his fly to the warning track. Joey Votto drove him in with a one-out single for a 4-0 lead.

Noteworthy

* Shaquille O'Neal threw out the first pitch with Pujols on the receiving end, then watched the game from the third row behind home plate. The two are taping a "Shaq Vs" show Thursday, a day off for the Cardinals.

* Reds outfielder Willy Taveras was not in the lineup a day after slamming face-first into the wall chasing after Holliday's triple, but manager Dusty Baker said he felt fine.

* Gonzalez has six career four-hit games, the last April 24, 2007, also at St. Louis.