The St. Louis Cardinals broke open a pitcher’s duel Saturday night with a six-run sixth inning to support right-hander Andre Pallante in a 7-0 victory against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera and Blaze Jordan all had key hits for the Cardinals, who came in having dropped seven of nine.

Pallante (11-6) allowed two hits in seven innings. He finished with eight strikeouts, tying his season high for the sixth time, and was just one strikeout shy of his career best. Pallante also retired his final 12 batters, and walked just one overall. He lowered his ERA to 3.77 in what likely was his best start of the season.

The Cardinals scored an unearned run against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene in the bottom of the first inning, but poured it on in the sixth, which was Greene’s third time through the lineup.

JJ Wetherholt walked to lead off and Burleson lined a single to right. Herrera followed with a two-run double to left making it 3-0.

Bryan Torres later hit an RBI single and Jordan followed with two-run single to right on a two-strike count to make it 6-0, prompting Reds manager Terry Francona to remove Greene (2-2).

Nathan Church followed with a safety squeeze against left-hander Sam Moll to push across Torres as the seventh run.

Unable to keep the Reds’ three-game winning streak going, Greene’s era ballooned to 7.06 in his fourth start of the season.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz made three fielding miscues in the first inning, booting a soft grounder for an error, getting his feet tangled on a pop-up single, and making a poor relay throw to the plate on Burleson’s RBI single.

Burleson finished with three hits, and Wetherholt scored twice, helping the Cardinals improve to 13-2 when he scores at least two runs.

The Reds did not mount a scoring threat until the ninth, against Cardinals right-hander Gordon Graceffo, who loaded the bases with no outs after pitching a scoreless eighth. A strikeout and a double play followed.

The Cardinals have won five of seven from the Reds in the season series, which continues Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

–Field Level Media

Luis Suarez’s penalty-kick goal in the 81st minute lifted Inter Miami to a 1-0 victory over host CF Montreal on Saturday night.

With the win, Miami (11-2-4, 37 points) has won six straight matches, including the last two without Lionel Messi as he recovers from Argentina’s run to the World Cup final.

The loss extends Montreal’s (4-10-3, 15 points) winless skid to six matches (0-3-3). Montreal has not recorded a victory in the league since a 2-0 decision over Orlando City on May 9.

In the 70th minute, the ball was crossed into the box and Miami forward German Berterame went up for a header and collided with Montreal defender Efrain Morales. Berterame remained down for several minutes, and medical personnel were rushed onto the pitch to attend to Berterame, who was taken off the field in an ambulance.

On the ensuing penalty kick 11 minutes later, Suarez chipped a shot over keeper Sebastian Breza for his ninth goal of the season.

Montreal had opportunities at the game’s opening goal early in the second half.

In the 50th minute, Hennadii Synchuk’s right-footed strike from the right side of the box missed just to the right of the goal.

Seven minutes later, Miami’s Yannick Bright was awarded a free kick after being fouled by Prince Owusu. Montreal midfielder Matty Longstaff blocked Suarez’s ensuing free kick from just outside the box.

Miami had another glorious opportunity in the 68th minute, but a leaping Breza recorded his only save of the night on Telasco Segovia’s right-footed strike from just outside the box.

Miami dominated first-half possession, but it was Montreal with the lone shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

In the 13th minute, Synchuk had a glorious opportunity, but Miami keeper Rocco Ríos Novo (two saves) got his right hand on the strike to make the save.

Saturday was the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. They’ll meet again in Florida on Aug. 29.

–Field Level Media

Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in Washington.

Baribo’s game-winner came after Toronto’s Jackson Gilman was called for tripping Andre Dozzell in the middle of the penalty box. The call came on a VAR review.

Baribo’s penalty shot was low and inside the left post, out of the reach of Toronto keeper Luka Gavran, who finished with six saves. It was Baribo’s 10th goal this season.

Against his former team, Sean Johnson had six saves as D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) snapped a five-match winless streak, which included ties in their previous three games.

D.C. also enhanced its position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after entering the match holding the bottom rung of the playoff ladder.

Theo Corbeanu scored in the 76th minute for Toronto (3-7-7, 16 points), which also was victimized by an own goal as its winless streak reached 11 games.

D.C. United extended Toronto’s winless streak in Washington to 10 games as well, with the Reds’ last win in D.C. coming in 2016.

D.C. worked for several quality opportunities in the first half before finally cashing in off a corner kick. From the right side, Keisuke Kurokawa sent an in-swinger into the goal area.

Toronto’s Kobe Franklin rose amid a pack of players and inadvertently headed his attempt to clear just inside the left post in the 41st minute.

D.C. United center back Kye Rowles was initially credited with the score before officials switched it to an own goal.

Toronto had difficulty breaking through against Johnson. But after the 37-year-old made two brilliant saves in the second half, the Reds finally cashed in.

The opportunity came after D.C. defender Matti Peltola was called for a foul just outside the penalty box. Walker Zimmerman crossed to Jonathan Osorio, whose header from close range was blocked by Johnson.

But the rebound came to Corbeanu in the middle of the box and his left-footed shot hit the top middle of the net.

It was the first goal for the Reds after playing two scoreless draws following the World Cup pause.

–Field Level Media