By MATT PIKE
Bryan Torres hit a two-run homer and also singled in his major league debut at age 28, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 Saturday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader at Great American Ballpark
Torres, who first played minor league ball in 2015, hit seventh and played left field. Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became a free agent after the 2021 season and spent two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.
He signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals in September 2023, was added to the 40-man roster last November and played for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic. Torres was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday after hitting .336 with 10 doubles, two homers, 16 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 36 games.
The Reds opened the scoring in the second inning when Nathaniel Lowe hit his seventh home run of the season. St. Louis took the lead though in the third when Alec Burleson had an RBI single, driving in JJ Wetherholt to tie the game, and Jordan Walker hit into a run-scoring forceout to drive in Iván Herrera for a 2-1 lead.
The Cardinals extended the lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Wetherholt, driving in Masyn Winn after his leadoff single. Then in the seventh inning, Walker boosted the lead to 5-1 against Connor Phillips with his 14th home run of the season, a two run home run bringing home Herrera again.
In the eighth inning, Herrera tripled to bring home Victor Scott II for another run, before Torres hit his two run home run in the ninth inning, driving in Winn for the final runs of the game.
Andre Pallante earned the win, improving to 5-4 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up one run on two hits while striking out three and walking one. At the plate, Scott II was 3-for-4 with a walk. Herrera was 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, and two walks. Walker was 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.
Kyle Leahy (5-3, 3.94) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Chase Petty (0-0, 4.76) for the Reds in the nightcap.
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