ST. LOUIS — Cardinals center fielder Michael Siani tagged up and scored from third base on a ball caught by Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz in shallow center field, and that aggressive base running maneuver provided the margin of victory in a pitchers' duel between NL Central Division rivals.

Siani’s run accounted for the entirety of the scoring in the game as the Cardinals logged a 1-0 win over the Reds in front of an announced crowd of 40,220 in the second game of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Friday night.

The Cardinals (42-39) shut out an opponent for the fourth time this season.

Siani went 1 for 3 with the Cardinals’ lone extra-base hit. Alec Burleson’s popup served as a sacrifice fly and drove in the game’s only run.

Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (4-3) pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits and three walks. He also struck out five to earn the win.

Rookie reliever Ryan Fernandez pitched 1 2/3 innings and didn’t allow a batter to reach base. The Cardinals three-headed relief pitching monster of JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley all contributed to shutting the door in the final two innings with the slimmest of margins for error.

In the eighth inning, the fleet footed De La Cruz walked against Romero, stole second base and then tagged up and advanced to third base to put the tying run 90 feet away.

With the right-handed hitting slugger Noelvi Marte up with two outs, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol turned to Kittredge for the righty-righty matchup. Kittredge struck out Marte, swinging, on three pitches and stranded De La Cruz at third base.

Helsley retired the side in order in the ninth, but left fielder Brendan Donovan made a leaping catch at the wall on a ball hit by Stuart Fairchild to record the final out of the game. Helsley's 29 saves lead MLB.

Pallante’s track record against the Reds

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