MLB: Lohse leads Reds past Cards

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Kyle Lohse tossed 8 1/3 quality innings and Edwin Encarnacion carried the load offensively, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals, 5-1, in the finale of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
Lohse (3-7) carried a shutout into the ninth and ended up yielding one run on seven hits over 8 1/3 innings.
Encarnacion finished 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for the Reds, who avoided the sweep and put a halt to a four-game losing streak. Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn also had homers in a winning effort.
Adam Wainwright (4-5) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits over six innings for St. Louis, which had won three in a row.
A pair of long balls in the fourth staked the visitors to a 3-0 lead. Griffey led off the frame with his 13th homer of the season, a shot to right that put the Reds in front.
Brandon Phillips followed with a single before Encarnacion stepped in a batter later and cracked a home run to left.
The power surge continued in the sixth, as Dunn hit a solo home run to left that upped the Reds advantage to 4-0.
Cincinnati added one more in the eighth. Phillips started things with a one- out walk, and swiped second as Dunn struck out swinging. Encarnacion then came through with a base hit to center that brought in Phillips.
The Cards threatened in the home-half of the inning, putting runners on second and third with one out. Lohse put the next two batters down in order, though, to keep the shutout alive.
St. Louis broke through in the ninth on a Jim Edmonds single that plated Albert Pujols and chased Lohse from the game.
David Weathers came in and gave up a single to center before retiring the next two batters to end the game.