ST. LOUIS (AP) Jonathan India had two hits to extend his hitting streak to nine games, Spencer Steer homered and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4 on Thursday night.

India had his sixth straight multi-hit game. He had reached safely in 11 consecutive at-bats before finally being retired Wednesday.

“We came out swinging,” India said. “Big win for us, but we need to keep going. You know we’ve been doing this the last four series, we win big the first game and then it doesn’t turn out great the next.”

Reds starter Andrew Abbott (7-6) was the winner, allowing two runs on two hits and six walks in five innings. Cincinnati won for the second time in six games.

“Probably one of the worst games I’ve pitched in my life,” Abbott said. “Just all over the place with timing, mechanic-wise. But yeah, team picked me up and we got a win. That’s all that matters.”

Miles Mikolas (6-7) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing at least one run in each inning he pitched in. He gave up a career-high 10 runs, nine of them earned, on 12 hits and a walk.

“Just left a lot of pitches in the heart of the plate and they took some really good swings off of him and made him pay,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “They had really good at-bats, so throw this one out and keep moving on.”

Noelvi Marte, in his first game back for the Reds after serving an 80-game suspension for banned substances, had three hits, scored three runs and drove in another.

“I was just focusing myself on just the emotional aspect and just being ready to attack the zone,” Marte said through an interpreter.

Elly De La Cruz had three hits and stole his major league-leading 38th base. Steer, Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild also had multi-hit games as the Reds scored double-digit runs for the seventh time this season.

De La Cruz’s triple scored India to give the Reds a 1-0 lead in the first inning and India’s RBI double added to the lead in the second. It is the fifth straight game that India has doubled in, the longest by a Red since India’s four-game run from Sept. 24-27, 2021.

“I love hitting first and it just gives me more confidence to think I’m the guy that has to get on and I like that pressure,” India said.

Steer, Nick Martini and Marte each doubled and scored in the third to make it 5-0.

“Not hitting spots, kind of stunk out there,” Mikolas said. “Bullpen a little short-staffed, today was not a good day for me to stink. Work my tail off in between starts, make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Steer’s homer in the fourth made it 7-2 Reds and Benson and Fairchild each had an RBI double to extend the lead to 10-2 in the fifth.

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer in the third for St. Louis, his first since June 5. Brendan Donovan and Dylan Carlson added RBI doubles in the eighth, as the Cardinals lost for the second time in their last seven games.

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson was a late scratch from the lineup and was replaced by Luke Maile. Stephenson left the game to be with his pregnant wife.

“It’s a team and that’s the best way to say it,” Reds manager David Bell said. “It’s challenging. We want everyone here and you know, healthy, but no one is talking about anything but, you know, finding a way to get it done. So, I think there’s strength in that.”

TRANSACTIONS

Aside from reinstating Marte, the Reds optioned IF Livan Soto to Triple-A Louisville and moved RHP Emilio Pagán (right lat strain) to the 60-day injured list.

TRAINERS ROOM

Reds: OF Jake Fraley (right calf contusion) and 3B Jeimer Candelario (hamstring tendinitis) each missed their second straight game, but neither is expected to require an IL stint.

Cardinals: OF Lars Nootbaar (oblique strain) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield on Friday.

UP NEXT

The Cardinals will send RHP Andre Pallante (3-3, 5.23 ERA) to the mound in the second of a four-game series against the Reds and RHP Frankie Montas (3-5, 4.48 ERA) on Friday night.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB