Reds, Wood quiet Cards

ST. LOUIS -- Cincinnati rookie Travis Wood sported a new look Saturday. The long locks were gone, replaced with a shorter, more military-style haircut.

His strong outing on the mound was the perfect match for his more clean-cut appearance.

Wood pitched seven efficient innings and hit his first career homer to lead the Reds to a 6-1 win against Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I just worked hard and came out with a mindset that I wasn't going to let them beat me," Wood said.

Cincinnati bounced back from Friday night's 3-2 loss in the series opener with its seventh victory in nine games, restoring its eight-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central.

Wood (5-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits. He also struck out three and walked two.

The left-hander was 0-1 with a 10.00 ERA in his previous two starts, allowing 17 hits in nine innings.

"Just a spur of the moment kind of thing," he said of the haircut. "I felt like I just needed to get back in gear."

Wainwright (17-10) pitched five innings, yielding five runs, two earned, and seven hits. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 4.88 ERA in his last four starts.

"I don't like losing one game, much less four in a row," he said. "I won't lose again."

Once automatic at home, Wainwright is 1-2 in his last four starts at Busch Stadium after opening the season with 10 consecutive victories at St. Louis' ballpark.