Jose Barrero hit the decisive RBI double to push the visiting Cincinnati Reds past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 Friday night.

Barrero broke a 2-2 ninth-inning tie with his double and took third on the throw to the plate as Aristides Aquino scored. Barrero then came home on Delino DeShields' run-scoring grounder as the Reds (75-67) won for just the fourth time in 12 games.

Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two. Michael Lorenzen (1-2) earned the victory with a scoreless eighth inning, and Mychal Givens worked around a one-out single in the ninth to notch his seventh save.

Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals (71-69), who lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed two runs on three hits and four walks in seven innings. He struck out two. T.J. McFarland (3-1) faltered in the ninth and took the loss.

Eugenio Suarez hit a 452-foot homer in the second inning to put the Reds up 1-0. It was his third homer in a span of nine at-bats and 26th of the season.

The Cardinals threatened in their half of the inning when Molina hit a leadoff single and moved up on a wild pitch. But Mahle worked around a two-out walk to Harrison Bader while striking out his third batter (Lester) of the inning to escape the jam.

Joey Votto's solo homer in the fourth inning doubled the Reds' lead to 2-0. His 30th homer of the season, which came on his 38th birthday, was the 325th of his career -- putting him second on the Reds' all-time list past Frank Robinson and behind only Johnny Bench (389).

Lester then walked Suarez and Aquino before getting a double-play grounder by Barrero to end the inning.

The Cardinals tied the game in their half of the fourth when Nolan Arenado walked on four pitches and Molina hit a two-run homer.

The Reds got a runner into scoring position in the seventh inning when Barrero hit a single and advanced to second on a bunt. But pinch hitter Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to strand him.

After the Reds took their 4-2 lead, Dylan Carlson hit a single to bring the tying run to the plate. But Givens retired Paul DeJong and Bader to finish the game.

--Field Level Media