Adam Dunn hit two solo homers to help lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-6 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday afternoon. For Dunn, it was his 19th and 20th homers on the season.
Reds starter Ramon Ortiz (3-5) had a strong outing for Cincinnati, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings. Ortiz did not allow the Cardinals to get a base hit until the fifth inning.
Kent Mercker picked up his first save of the year by striking out Jim Edmunds in the ninth inning to record the final out. It was Merker's first save since August 27, 2003 when he was pitching for the Atlanta Braves.
Mark Mulder continued his slump for the Cardinals. He is 1-4 in his last five starts and his season record fell to 8-5. Mulder allowed seven runs on 12 hits in only four innings of work.
Joe Randa extended his hitting streak to eight games in the game. The Reds are now 2-0 under interim manager Jerry Narron who was promoted after the firing of Dave Miley on Tuesday. The loss ended a streak of six consecutive series wins for the Cardinals.
