Brandon Phillips had three hits and left-hander Brandon Finnegan allowed two singles in six innings on Thursday, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-0 victory and a rare series win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds took two of three, giving them only their fifth series win in the last 23 between the NL Central rivals.

Phillips had a single and a pair of doubles, scored three times and drove in a run against former teammate Mike Leake (8-9). Ramon Cabrera drove in three runs, and Eugenio Suarez knocked in a pair.

Finnegan (7-8) allowed only a pair of singles, and then left after throwing 79 pitches on a humid, 88-degree afternoon. The bullpen gave up three more singles while closing out Cincinnati's fourth shutout, which is tied with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh for the fewest in the NL.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 0 for 4, ending a 17-game hitting streak that was the longest of his career.

Leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter is expected to come off the DL over the weekend. He's missed 29 games with a strained right oblique. He went 4 for 12 during a rehab assignment with a homer and a double.

St. Louis returns home and starts a three-game series against Atlanta. LHP Jaime Garcia (7-8) is 2-1 in seven career starts against the Braves with a 4.32 ERA.