CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Matt Adams emerged from his deep slump and saved the St. Louis Cardinals from another costly loss. Adams broke an 0-for-17 slump and hit a pair of homers in extra innings on Wednesday night, the last one in the 16th for a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that protected the Cardinals hold on second place in the NL Central. Nice timing. "My rhythms been off a little bit, and that was causing me to chase pitches, but I felt pretty good tonight," Adams said. So did the rest of the Cardinals, who piled out of the dugout triumphantly after finally pulling it out in 4 hours, 50 minutes. The 16-inning game matched their longest of the season. And it was so much better than being on the other side. The Reds longest game of the season ended in one of their greatest disappointments. "For sure," Reds starter Bronson Arroyo said. "Definitely. When you play that many innings and have a couple of runners in scoring position ..." The Cardinals had dropped the first two games in the series, letting the Reds get within a game and a half for second place. They conclude their season series on Thursday. St. Louis leads it 11-8. Carlos Martinez (2-1) escaped a threat in the 15th, when Shin-Soo Choo singled and reached third on a sacrifice and a groundout. Chris Heisey came to bat and saw Matt Carpenter playing back at third base, so he decided on his own to try to bunt for a single. Heisey missed the pitch, Choo reacted and took off and was easily out at the plate. "Youre not going to try a safety bunt with two outs," manager Dusty Baker said. "Heisey thought the third baseman was back, he was bunting for a hit. Choo was going to try to score." Cincinnatis three, four and five hitters -- Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Heisey -- were a combined 0 for 19. Given the reprieve, the Cardinals pulled it out. Theyve dropped five of seven overall, costing them precious ground in the divisions three-team race. The Pirates, Cardinals and Reds are all in good shape to make the playoffs -- one as a champion, the other two as wild cards. "That was just a character win," manager Mike Matheny said. "The guys just kept grinding, not giving up or giving in. The job the young bullpen did holding them down was impressive. Thats one of those wins you dont forget." St. Louis wasted a chance to put it away in the 14th inning. Adams broke his deep slump by leading off with homer off Alfredo Simon. Speedy Billy Hamilton helped the Reds tie it with another stolen base in the bottom of the inning. Hamilton ran for Ryan Ludwick after his single off Edward Mujica, who blew a save chance for only the third time in 38 chances. Hamilton stole second -- hes 2 for 2 against catcher Yadier Molina -- and scored easily on Zack Cozarts single. Carpenter had three hits and a walk, scoring twice. Carpenter has five of the Cardinals 14 hits in the last two games. Arroyo broke with his history of subpar showings against the Cardinals. It was his 38th career start against St. Louis -- more than against any other team -- and he didnt have a lot to show for it, going 0-3 against the Cardinals this season and 8-16 in his career. He went seven innings and allowed three runs -- two earned -- giving the Reds chances that they squandered. St. Louis scored twice in the fourth, when Matt Holliday hit a sacrifice fly and Carlos Beltran came around on a throwing error by Votto on Allen Craigs grounder. Craig sprained his left foot while rounding the base on the play and left the game. X-rays were inconclusive. Hes heading back to St. Louis for more tests. "Any time youre sending Allen Craig away its not good news," Matheny said. Brandon Phillips led off the fifth with his 18th homer, giving him 100 RBIs. Hes the first Reds second baseman to reach the mark since Hall of Famer Joe Morgan drove in 111 in 1976, when the Reds swept the Yankees for their second straight World Series championship. Notes: RH Jake Westbrook felt good a day after he threw in the bullpen. Westbrook has been sidelined since Aug. 22 with a strained lower back. Hes eligible to come off the DL on Friday. Matheny isnt sure whether hell use him as a starter -- as Westbrook prefers -- or out of the bullpen when he returns. ... Carpenter leads the NL with 169 hits and 15 three-hit games. ... Arroyo tied a Reds record with three sacrifice bunts. ... LH Tony Cingrani (6-3) starts the final game of the series for Cincinnati. He went on the DL after leaving a game Aug. 20 with a strained lower back. RH Lance Lynn (13-9) starts for St. Louis. Hes 3-0 in four starts against the Reds this season. . In fact it was a little bit of a letdown after the incredible playoff series that preceded it. [url=http://www.mitchellandnessonlineshop.com/Throwback-Thurman-Thomas-Buffalo-B... Thomas Jersey . Harper launched two long home runs, including a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning, and also doubled Saturday to lead the Washington Nationals over the New York Mets 7-6. Mitchell and Ness Buffalo Bills Jersey . ITS GREAT TO BE BACK Alexander Ovechin scored again last night, because thats what he does now, finding the net in 10 of the last 12 games. As hes now tied with Tampa Bays Steven Stamkos for the leagues goal-scoring lead, Ovechkin is considered "back". Deion Sanders Mitchell and Ness Jersey . Well, here they are. Williams will make his debut as a major league manager with the Washington Nationals, a hiring announced by Rizzo on Thursday, one day after the World Series ended. "Matt played with intensity as a player, but he also was a terrific teammate. Not even an early stumble could derail reigning World Champion Patrick Chan at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Thursday night. Chan failed to land his first jump cleanly, touching both hands to the ice, but rebounded to win the mens short program at his "home ice" at the World Arena. The Toronto native claimed the program with a score of 87.95 points despite the miscue, with Japans Takahito Mura finishing second with a mark of 83.44. "I was very happy with how I was able to gather myself, and Ive been really good at doing that this year," said the 21-year-old Chan. "I saw this as a challenge and a test, and I was able to get the best with what I had." Chan, who trains in Colorado Springs, said the ice felt different than in recent practice sessions and that contributed to his hiccup. "They changed the ice, and the temperature was a little different. I could feel it," said Chan, who won gold at the 2009 Four Continents Championships. "I was on it last Friday, a week ago, and it feels different than then. So, little things like that change things, and thats why it makes it feel a little bit foreign. "It really makes me feel like Im at an international competition and not at home." Chan said he didnt feel at ease during the warm-up session, either. "The six-minute warm-up was a little shaky," he said. "I was having trouble finding my feet and staying grounded.dddddddddddd I was getting high in the shoulders and tight in my upper body, so my jumps werent as poppy." Vancouver Olympics bronze medallist and defending Four Continents champion Daisuke Takahashi of Japan fell on his first jump and settled for third (82.59). Ross Miner, the 2012 U.S. bronze medallist , was sixth (76.89) and has his sights set on the mens free skate on Friday. "I thought it was a good start, and Im looking forward to tomorrow," Miner said. "I had a little bit of a bobble going into my triple flip, but I still did a really good one. Its important to compete internationally and show people what I can do. Its also an opportunity to increase my world ranking and season-best score." Adam Rippon, the 2012 U.S. silver medallist and 2010 Four Continents champion, was relegated to seventh place (74.92) after falling on his third jump. "It was a really hard turnaround from nationals to here," Rippon said. "The lutz was such a silly mistake, and I never make it. If I had to choose where I was going to make that mistake, I would rather it be at Four Continents than at the national championships or the world championships. "Im not even affected by the mistake, and I know what I need to do tomorrow to skate well." The field for the four-day competition includes six Olympic and World medallists and consists of 102 athletes from 17 countries. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '