Cincinnati, OH (My Sportsbook) - Micah Owings tossed 6 2/3 strong innings and hit his third home run of the year, lifting Cincinnati to a 5-2 victory against St. Louis in the second of three games between these NL Central rivals.

Joey Votto also homered and tripled, knocking in two, while Willy Taveras collected three hits and scored a run for the Reds, who had won four of five before dropping the opener to this set.

Owings (6-8) won for the third time in four starts, allowing six hits and two runs with two walks and six strikeouts. Francisco Cordero picked up his 20th save of the season by hurling a perfect ninth.

Brad Thompson (2-5) took the loss after lasting five frames and yielding five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits and two walks. Colby Rasmus hit a solo home run for the Cardinals, who had a three-game win streak broken.

St. Louis gained a short-lived lead on Rasmus' solo shot in the first, but Cincy tied it up in the home half when Taveras singled, stole second and scored easily on Votto's triple to right.

Owings helped himself with a solo blast to center the very next inning and the Reds went on to back his effort on the mound with three runs in the next two frames for a 5-1 lead.

A pair of errors in the third allowed Brandon Phillips first to reach base and score, and Votto began the fifth with his 10th home run of the year. Jerry Hairston Jr. plated Phillips with a fielder's choice later in the frame for the four-run advantage.

The Cards got one back in the sixth when Albert Pujols singled, advanced on a Chris Duncan walk and then on a fielder's choice before scoring on an errant throw from right following a Yadier Molina fly ball.

Nick Masset got Pujols to ground out to end the seventh with two on, and Arthur Rhodes tossed a scoreless eighth prior to Cordero shutting the door in the ninth.

Game Notes

Cincinnati gained a 5-4 lead in the season series with the win...Skip Schumaker had two of the Cardinals' eight hits...Taveras swiped his 16th bag of the year...St. Louis was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position while Cincinnati was 1-for-11.