"We'll have to study the tape to determine who won the Big Brawl at Great American Ball Park Tuesday night. It was clear who won the baseball game that broke out afterward.

The Cardinals made the Reds look as bad as they have in months in an 8-4 loss before a crowd of 36,964.

The Reds had as many errors (three) after six innings as hits.

The Reds and Cardinals are now tied for first in National League Central. The Reds lost a series for only the second time in the last 14. They have to win today to avoid the sweep and falling out of first place.

The big brawl was followed by a pretty good game – for a while.

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, an instigator of the first-inning fisticuffs, was booed loudly when he came up in the second inning. The Cardinals' fans in the house erupted when he hit a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence for his fifth home run.

That made it 2-0. Reds starter Johnny Cueto gave up a run in the first after left fielder Jonny Gomes lost Felipe Lopez's fly ball in the sun. Lopez scored on Albert Pujols' groundout after being sacrificed to third base.

The Reds tied it in the third. Drew Stubbs walked and Ramon Hernandez singled. Cueto bunted them over which earned a tremendous ovation. Brandon Phillips drove in the first run with a groundout. After Paul Janish walked, Joey Votto singled to drive in Hernandez."