ST. LOUIS -- The bar had been set unfairly high by Daniel Poncedeleon, whose encore performance against the Reds on Saturday had to follow one in which he held them hitless over seven innings in his Major League debut.
Poncedeleon managed to extend that run another 3 1/3 innings, but when it ended, momentum crashed with it. Once Jose Peraza broke the ice with a double, an outburst began. Six consecutive Cincinnati batters reached to chase Poncedeleon from the game and build a lead that the Reds would turn into a 4-0 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.