Cardinals 6, Reds 5 (10): Jhonny Peralta capped a three-hit night with the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning as host St. Louis won a see-saw contest to open a three-game series.

The Cardinals took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single by A.J. Pierzynski but struggling closer Trevor Rosenthal allowed Cincinnati to tie it in the ninth. After Nick Greenwood (2-1) worked a perfect five-pitch 10th for St. Louis, Matt Holliday and Matt Adams singled against Logan Ondrusek (3-3) and Peralta lined a shot over the left fielder to end it.

Peralta also had an RBI single in the first and Adams and Daniel Descalso had run-scoring doubles for the wild card-leading Cardinals, who have won five of six and sit 2 1/2 games out in the National League Central. Jay Bruce had a three-run homer and the game-tying RBI double in the ninth for the sinking Reds, losers of three straight and eight of 10.

Adams and Peralta produced two-out RBIs in the first inning and Holliday snapped an 0-for-18 slide with a run-scoring single in the third to make it 3-0. After Zack Cozart doubled in a run against St. Louis starter Justin Masterson in the fifth, Bruce launched a shot to right to put Cincinnati up 4-3.

Descalso's pinch-hit double in the seventh scored Jon Jay from first to tie it and Peralta doubled with two outs in the eighth ahead of Pierzynski's line single to center. Rosenthal, who was unable to complete a save Sunday against San Diego, walked speedster Billy Hamilton with one out in the ninth before a steal, a throwing error and Bruce's double down the right-field line tied it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Reds 3B Todd Frazier followed Bruce's game-tying double in the ninth with a drive into the right-center field gap but Jay made a nice running catch to preserve the tie. ... Cincinnati activated both Ondrusek (shoulder) and 2B Brandon Phillips (thumb) from the 15-day disabled list. Phillips was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first game since July 9. ... Reds RHP Mike Leake gave up four runs in seven innings while Masterson was charged with four runs in five frames for St. Louis.