Reds 7, Cardinals 2: Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto homered as host Cincinnati roughed up Adam Wainwright and claimed the opener of a critical four-game series between National League Central rivals.

Reds starter Mat Latos (14-5) was brilliant, allowing two runs on four hits in his fourth career complete game. Latos retired 21 of the last 22 batters he faced after allowing back-to-back doubles to start the third.

Cincinnati tagged Wainwright (15-9) for six runs on 10 hits over six innings, beating him for the second time in less than a week. Ryan Ludwick, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart each added two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who remained 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Pittsburgh but lead Arizona by seven games for the second wild card spot.

The Reds jumped on Wainwright early, taking a 1-0 lead on Ludwick's RBI single in the first and tacking on three more in the second on Cozart's run-scoring single and Choo's 19th homer, a two-run blast to right-center.

St. Louis pushed across a pair in the third when Matt Carpenter doubled home Wainwright and scored on Matt Holliday's sacrifice fly, but managed only one more baserunner against Latos. The Reds added to the margin on Frazier's RBI single in the third, Votto's opposite-field shot in the fourth and Jay Bruce's bases-loaded walk in the eighth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cardinals C Yadier Molina left the game in the fifth inning with a sore left wrist. … Wainwright has allowed 15 runs and 18 hits over eight innings in his last two starts, both against the Reds. … St. Louis RF Carlos Beltran was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game with a tight lower back.