Nick Senzel and Philip Ervin hit solo home runs, Luis Castillo pitched six effective innings and the Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 Sunday night to end a four-game losing streak and salvage a split of the teams' second doubleheader in two days.
Castillo (14-5) lasted six innings, giving up three runs and five hits with three walks. He struck out eight as the Reds' pitchers had 11 in the game.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save, a night after he blew an opportunity.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-2) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and five hits with a walk, and a hit batter in four-plus innings in the night game. Called up earlier in the day when rosters expanded, he entered the fifth with a 3-2 lead but gave up Senzel's 12th homer to left-center to start the inning. Joey Votto, who doubled off the Cardinals' starter, also scored in the inning as the Reds took a 4-3 lead.
Ervin's fifth homer of the season in the sixth capped the scoring. He finished a triple shy of the cycle.
The Cardinals Andrew Knizer hit his second homer of the season, a two-run shot that was part of a three-run third for St. Louis. Kolten Wong had three hits, including a triple, and an RBI.
In the first game, Harrison Bader continued his hit parade with a game-ending single to lift the Cardinals to the win.
Bader, facing five infielders with no one out, lofted a fly ball off Michael Lorenzen (0-4) to deep right field to bring in pinch-runner Tyler O'Neill.
Eugenio Suarez homered for the Reds, who have dropped four in a row. Suarez then left the second game after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning.
Jose Martinez began the Cardinals' winning rally with a walk. Yadier Molina followed with a ground-rule double to set the stage for Bader's hit.
Carlos Martinez (4-2) picked up the victory by striking out the side in the ninth on 13 pitches.
Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Suarez broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run shot in the third.
