CINCINNATI -- On a day when he helped starter Adam Wainwright navigate through seven innings without pinpoint command, catcher Yadier Molina also took control in lifting the staff ace to the win.Wainwright and Reds starter Johnny Cueto traded zeros until Molina turned on Cueto's seventh-inning fastball and deposited it 368 feet away over the left-field wall. Four relievers joined Wainwright to preserve the shutout and send the Cardinals to a 1-0 Opening Day win at Great American Ball Park on Monday.The Cardinals, now 9-8 against the Reds on Opening Day, have won four of their last five season openers. That included a 2010 victory at Great American Ball Park in which Molina connected for a grand slam.This time, one run would do just fine, though it took some nifty relief work to ensure the Cardinals didn't squander away the lead upon Wainwright's departure.A team that has touted its improved defense all spring looked none too sharp in the field on Monday. The Cardinals committed three errors, including two in an adventurous eighth inning. 
Pat Neshek opened the eighth by walking Brandon Phillips, the only batter he faced. Kevin Siegrist came in to face the Reds' pair of potent left-handed bats and watched a potential double-play ball skip past second baseman Kolten Wong. Phillips, representing the tying run, moved to third.The Cardinals erased Phillips in a rundown and then turned to Carlos Martinez to wrap up the inning. He, too, induced a possible double play, only to watch it pop out of the glove of first baseman Matt Adams. A strikeout of Todd Frazier finally ended the inning.Trevor Rosenthal collected the save, ensuring that Molina's contributions were enough to lift Wainwright to his first career Opening Day win.The third-place finisher in last season's MVP voting, Molina followed a strikeout and flyout with a first-pitch home run that marred an otherwise excellent start from Cueto. The Reds righty struck out eight -- the last four of which were on called third strikes -- and had stranded the only other runner to reach scoring position against him.Eliminate Adams' pair of hits and the Cardinals were 0-for-19 before Molina's mighty swing.The hit made a winner of Wainwright, who was uncharacteristically wild in the third Opening Day start of his career. Last year, he opened the season with 34 2/3 walk-free innings. On Monday, he issued four (one intentional) and went to seven three-ball counts during his 105-pitch outing.He was nevertheless plenty effective when around the strike zone, limiting the Reds to three hits over seven innings. The Reds advanced three runners into scoring position; none made it as far as third.Wainwright's biggest potential bind came in the fifth, when Peter Bourjos ran down Brayan Pena's hit to the left-center gap only to watch it pop out of his glove for a two-base error. Pena was erased on a botched sacrifice bunt, and Wainwright followed with two consecutive strikeouts to close the frame.He finished the day with nine strikeouts, the most by a Cardinals pitcher on Opening Day since Pete Vuckovich had nine in 1980. Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton struck out four times.With the shutout, the Cardinals snapped the Reds' streak of 60 straight Opening Day games in which they have scored at least once. Only the Phillies entered 2014 with a longer such streak.Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
Pat Neshek opened the eighth by walking Brandon Phillips, the only batter he faced. Kevin Siegrist came in to face the Reds' pair of potent left-handed bats and watched a potential double-play ball skip past second baseman Kolten Wong. Phillips, representing the tying run, moved to third.The Cardinals erased Phillips in a rundown and then turned to Carlos Martinez to wrap up the inning. He, too, induced a possible double play, only to watch it pop out of the glove of first baseman Matt Adams. A strikeout of Todd Frazier finally ended the inning.Trevor Rosenthal collected the save, ensuring that Molina's contributions were enough to lift Wainwright to his first career Opening Day win.The third-place finisher in last season's MVP voting, Molina followed a strikeout and flyout with a first-pitch home run that marred an otherwise excellent start from Cueto. The Reds righty struck out eight -- the last four of which were on called third strikes -- and had stranded the only other runner to reach scoring position against him.Eliminate Adams' pair of hits and the Cardinals were 0-for-19 before Molina's mighty swing.The hit made a winner of Wainwright, who was uncharacteristically wild in the third Opening Day start of his career. Last year, he opened the season with 34 2/3 walk-free innings. On Monday, he issued four (one intentional) and went to seven three-ball counts during his 105-pitch outing.He was nevertheless plenty effective when around the strike zone, limiting the Reds to three hits over seven innings. The Reds advanced three runners into scoring position; none made it as far as third.Wainwright's biggest potential bind came in the fifth, when Peter Bourjos ran down Brayan Pena's hit to the left-center gap only to watch it pop out of his glove for a two-base error. Pena was erased on a botched sacrifice bunt, and Wainwright followed with two consecutive strikeouts to close the frame.He finished the day with nine strikeouts, the most by a Cardinals pitcher on Opening Day since Pete Vuckovich had nine in 1980. Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton struck out four times.With the shutout, the Cardinals snapped the Reds' streak of 60 straight Opening Day games in which they have scored at least once. Only the Phillies entered 2014 with a longer such streak.Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
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