Reds 4, Cardinals 3

I think I suggested in one of these postgame missives a few weeks ago that Eddie Encarnacion might need a little time in Triple-A. I'm not sure. I could look it up but I took the red-eye last night and I'm tired.

Anyway, if I did, I was wrong.

Encarnacion saved the game Monday night with a great defensive in the seventh inning. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI doubles. He's 26-for-70 (.371) with five home runs and 11 RBI in last 18 games.

He also made an error -- his eighth of the year -- in the game. But you've got to live with the good and bad. He's a talented kid. He works hard at it.

Talking about his fielding -- a good play -- made Encarnacion smile.

"You focus and you get an opportunity to make a play like that and help your team to win," Encarnacion said.

Encarnacion understands he needs to make the routine plays as well.

"He's conscious of it," Dusty Baker said. "He needs to be consistent. Someday he's got a chance to be gold. He works it."

And, oh yeah, the Reds have finally won three in a row. Bronson Arroyo said the key to his first quality start was swimming laps. I'm not making that up.