Reds 4, Cardinals 3: Chris Heisey scored Joey Votto with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to pull Cincinnati back to .500 and avoid a sweep in the three-game series.

St. Louis went to left-hander Marc Rzepczynski (0-1) to face the left-handed Votto leading off the ninth. The move backfired when Votto drove a double to left. The Cardinals walked Ryan Ludwick intentionally and Rzepczynski struck out Jay Bruce.

Fernando Salas was brought on to face pinch-hitter Heisey, who took an 0-1 fastball into left-center field for the game-winning RBI.

Votto finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Aroldis Chapman (2-0) picked up the win in relief.

Jaime Garcia worked himself into and out of trouble in the second and third but could not walk the tightrope in the fifth, surrendering a pair of runs. Bruce followed two singles and a walk with a sacrifice fly to cut it to 3-2 and Wilson Valdez beat out a bunt single to plate the tying run.

Garcia ended up surrendering 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The Cardinals had grabbed an early lead in the third, when Rafael Furcal hit an RBI triple and Jon Jay followed with a two-run blast off Johnny Cueto.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The day after his new six-year, $72.5 million contract extension was reported, Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips got the afternoon off. … Wednesday was Votto’s first multi-hit game. … Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman (calf) got the day off.