Elly De La Cruz flashed his speed, getting two hits, reaching base four times and scoring the go-ahead run with a headfirst slide on an eighth-inning grounder that sparked the Cincinnati Reds over the Cardinals 4-3 on Sunday.

De La Cryz tied the score 2-2 with an RBI single in the third. He De La Cruz walked in the sixth, stole second and scored on Tyler Stephenson's single to tie the score 3-3.

Then in the eighth, De La Cruz walked on a full-count offering from Jordan Hicks (1-4) leading off, advanced on Spencer Steer's groundout and took third on Willson Contreras' passed ball.

With the infield in, Stephenson hit a two-hopper to Paul DeJong, and the shortstop's throw was slightly up the first-base line and in the dirt. The ball bounced off Contreras' mitt as the catcher tried for a swipe tag, and De La Cruz slapped the plate with his left hand.

De La Cruz is hitting .364 (8 for 22) with five walks, three stolen bases, a .481 on-base percentage and an 1.117 OPS in six games since his debut Tuesday. He has a double, triple, home run and four RBIs.

Ian Gibaut (6-1) allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Alexis Díaz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to remain perfect in 15 save chances as the Reds took two of three from the Cardinals.

St. Louis went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and is 9 for 70 (.129) in its last 12 games. The last-place Cardinals are 7-15 in one-run games and dropped eight games behind Pittsburgh, the NL Central leader. St. Louis has lost seven of its last nine.

Jonathan India homered in the first but the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the second on Jordan Walker's run-scoring single and Tommy Edman's RBI grounder.

Nolan Arenado hit an RBI triple in the third.

Matthew Liberatore (1-2, 6.00) will face San Francisco’s RHP Logan Webb (4-6, 3.09) on Monday. In his last start, Liberatore lasted just four innings, allowing five runs and his first home run of the year.