CINCINNATI — When it appeared the Cardinals were going to finish their four-day, five-game stay in Cincinnati with a loss, the window to take back their lead opened with a botched play in the ninth that might have have otherwise sealed their fate.

Down to their last out Thursday with the game-tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, the Cardinals took back their lead in the ninth inning on a fly ball Reds center Dane Myers had hit off his glove for an error that cost Cincinnati a win and allowed the Cardinals to dig themselves out of a loss.

The error by Myers on a fly ball by JJ Wetherholt allowed Jose Fermin, who began the inning with a pinch-hit single, and Masyn Winn, who came in as a pinch runner for Bryan Torres after he was hit by a pitch, to score the runs needed to complete a 10-9 victory at Great American Ball Park.

Following Myers' error, Alec Burleson singled home Wetherholt on a hard-hit grounder that Reds first baseman Michael Toglia ranged to his right to field but had kick off his glove and into right field. Another run scored on a bases-loaded walk Joshua Baez drew from Brock Burke. Two more runs scored on Fermin's single versus Zach Maxwell, who relieved Burke.

However, the comeback did not come easy.

George Soriano allowed one run and and issued three walks to load the bases with two outs in the ninth. The sticky situation led closer Riley O'Brien to enter for a one-out save. O'Brien allowed the Reds to come within one run of tying the game by issuing a walk to Tyler Stephenson with the bases loaded.

O'Brien and the Cardinals hung on for the win with help on a fly ball Jordan Walker hauled in at the wall in right field for the last out.

The six runs the Cardinals (66-63) scored in the ninth made up for the five runs the Cardinals allowed in the sixth inning.

In relief of starter Michael McGreevy, Ryne Stanek was one out away from escaping the sixth with one run allowed on a single by JJ Bleday. Instead, the inning spun away on a grand slam allowed to Matt McLain with two outs and two strikes. Stanek inherited a bases loaded, one-out situation from McGreevy, who had allowed two just batters to reach base before heading into the sixth.

The five runs the Reds scored in the sixth erased the four RBIs the Cardinals received from Walker.

Walker was credited with an RBI in the first inning on a force out that scored Wetherholt thanks in part to some heads-up base running by Ivan Herrera. Walker launched his 26th homer of the season and second in as many day in the third inning off Reds starter Brady Singer, who lasted six innings and surrendered four runs.

The home run swing plated three runs to push the Cardinals out to a 4-0 lead with McGreevy seemingly cruising before his outing ended at 5 1/3 innings.

Through his first five innings, McGreevy kept Cincinnati to one hit and no runs. The only hit he allowed was a single to Elly De La Cruz that led off the first inning. McGreevy followed the single by coaxing a grounder that ended with a double play. He retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced before he hit turbulence to open the sixth. The only Red to reach base against McGreevy in that stretch was Bleday, who walked in the fourth inning.

McGreevy’s start stalls

In what appeared to be an outing that would get McGreevy his 15th quality start, the Cardinals starter surrendered back-to-back singles to Hector Rodriguez and Ke’Bryan Hayes in the sixth inning to put runners on the corners with no outs and the top of the Reds order looming.

McGreevy showed signs of being able to wiggle out of the jam by getting a strikeout of De La Cruz, but he lost the chance to do so when he walked Sal Stewart on four pitches.

The walk signaled the end of McGreevy’s outing and brought in Stanek, who searched for his eighth hold in a span of nine outings. Stanek had two strikes on McLain but left a splitter around knee-high that McLain lifted to left field for a grand slam.

Walker takes flight

Able to swing the Cardinals to within one run of the Reds late Wednesday night, Walker provided a swing Thursday afternoon that furthered a lead the Cardinals took in the first inning.

Walker worked an 0-2 count to 3-2 by laying off two sliders and checking his swing on a sinker from Singer. With a full count, Walker lifted a slider located in the bottom third of the strike zone and sent it 407 feet to center field.

The three-run homer continued a productive August for the All-Star right fielder.

In 16 games heading into Thursday’s series finale, Walker has batted .338 with five doubles and three homers this month. The eight extra-base hits powered him to a .554 slugging percentage through his first 65 August at-bats.

Staying away from the double play

Heads-up base running by Herrera helped the Cardinals avoid a potential inning-ending double play in the first and helped them take a 1-0 lead.

After Herrera’s single set up Walker to hit with runners on first and third and one out against Singer, Walker hit a chopping grounder that forced second baseman Stewart to charge in and field. Stewart snagged the ball while in the base line between first and second.

Because Herrera slowed on his way to second base and Wetherholt broke immediately for home plate, all Stewart could do was throw to first baseman Toglia to get Walker out.

Toglia then tried to complete a double play by throwing down to second base with Herrera trying to advance. And while Toglia’s throw to shortstop McLain beat Herrera, Herrera’s slide to avoid a tag kept the Cardinals’ inning alive on a play that earned them their first run.

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