Mike Shildt wasn't sure what to expect in his first day as interim manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

He certainly didn't foresee the treatment he received in a wild post-game celebration that occurred following the Cardinals' 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

 

Rumors of discontent in the locker room, along with inconsistent play, spelled the end for manager Mike Matheny, who was fired after Saturday's 8-2 loss after six-plus seasons. The Cardinals were 591-474 during Mathey's tenure and made the playoffs in each of his first four years. But St. Louis failed to reach the postseason the last two years.

 

Matheny was a gold glove catcher for St. Louis from 2000-04 and used those leadership qualities as a manager.

 

Matt Carpenter and Fowler homered to lead an opportunistic seven-hit attack Tommy Pham broke out of a 0-for-20 slump with a two-run, go-ahead single for the Cardinals, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

 

Cincinnati, which had won four of five, is 35-26 since beginning the season 8-27.

 

John Gant (3-3) picked up the win with four hitless innings of relief. He struck out four and walked two.

 

Carpenter began the game with a first-pitch homer, his fifth leadoff home run of the season and 20th of his career. He leads the team with 19 round-trippers.

 

Fowler added a solo shot in the second off Anthony DeSclafani (4-2) for a 2-0 lead.

 

Pham erased a 3-2 deficit with a two-run single that highlighted a four-run outburst in the fourth. It was Pham's first hit since July 5. He entered the game in the second inning after starter Harrison Bader left with a knee injury.

 

Both Pham, who is hitting .243 and Fowler (.176), have struggled at times this season.

 

Adam Duvall tied the game for the Reds with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the fourth. Jose Peraza then put his team in front with a single off the leg of starter Miles Mikolas.

 

DeSclafani allowed six earned run on five hits over 3 1-3 innings.

 

Mikolas, who is headed to the All-Star Game, surrendered three runs on six hits over four innings in his shortest outing of the season.

 

Reds outfielder Jesse Winker extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with a third-inning single.

 

St. Louis travels to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs after the break.