CINCINNATI _ Having already rescued the Cardinals with a homer earlier in the game, Dexter Fowler delivered a win later with a double and a run scored in extra innings.
Fowler drove home the tie-breaking run in the 10th and then scored the needed insurance run on Paul DeJong's single. Those two runs buttressed the Cardinals against an answer from the Reds and meant an 8-7 victory Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.
The Cardinals' elimination number from the division race slipped to seven with the Cubs' win.
Fowler's work made a winner of Juan Nicasio, who struck out Joey Votto in the ninth inning to force extra innings and give Fowler another swing at deciding the game.
For the second time in as many games, Fowler gave the Cardinals the hit that brought them back from the brink.
On Sunday, the Cardinals had a three-run deficit at Wrigley Field erased when Fowler clubbed a three-run homer to tie the game, 3-3. The Cardinals would miss on that chance and lose 4-3 to put them six games back in the division race and effectively out of the running. Fast-forward to Tuesday, and Fowler answered in the eighth inning.
His 17th homer of the season skipped off the wall and into the crowd to tie the game at 6. The homer was a career high-tying one for Fowler. He had 17 homers for the Cubs in 2015.
Scooter Gennett hit a solo home run in the 10th inning off Nicasio to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-7.
