Jul 23, 2018 4 min read

St. Louis starter Daniel Poncedeleon made a sensational debut 14 months after suffering a severe head injury, throwing no-hit ball for seven innings Monday night before Eugenio Suarez led the Cincinnati Reds’ two-out rally in the ninth for a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Suarez’s two-out, solo homer off Bud Norris (3-3) tied it 1-1. The closer then loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, and pinch-hitter Dilson Herrera singled to end the Reds’ losing streak at four games. Jared Hughes (3-3) pitched the ninth.

The late rally overshadowed Poncedeleon’s incredible comeback.

The 26-year-old right-hander was hit on the right temple by a line drive while pitching for Triple-A Memphis on May 9 last year, fracturing his skull and causing bleeding in the brain. He had emergency surgery followed by months of slow recovery.

Poncedeleon was one of the top pitchers in the Pacific Coast League when St. Louis called him up Monday to help their injury-depleted rotation. He walked three and struck out three, threw 116 pitches and gave way to a pinch-hitter in the eighth with St. Louis up 1-0.

Jordan Hicks gave up a one-out single up the middle by pinch-hitter Phillip Ervin in the eighth for Cincinnati’s first hit. Suarez’s tying homer was only Cincinnati’s second hit. It was Norris’ third blown save in 21 chances.

Atlanta 12, Miami 1: Freddie Freeman hit his 17th homer and also doubled for the Atlanta Braves, who totaled 16 hits to beat the Miami Marlins 12-1.

Charlie Culberson had a career-high four hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs. Dansby Swanson hit his eighth homer.

Sean Newcomb (9-5) overcame a wobbly start to allow one run in six innings and earn his first win since June 16. He improved to 3-0 in three outings against Miami this season with an ERA of 1.00.

Cespedes contemplates surgery: Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had an MRI and was examined by a specialist in an effort to determine whether he needs surgery on both feet that would sideline him for 8-to-10 months.

Cespedes homered in Friday night’s victory at the Yankees in his return from the DL after missing two months with a strained right hip flexor.

He disclosed after the game that calcification on both heels has bothered him for 15 years and caused the lower-body injuries that have limited him to 119 games in 1½ seasons since he signed a $110 million, four-year contract.

All-star Snell to DL: The Tampa Bay Rays have put All-Star left-hander Blake Snell on the 10-day disabled list with fatigue in his throwing shoulder.

Snell pitched 12/3 innings in the All-Star game on July 17, five days after his last start for the Rays.

Snell had an MRI that showed no structural issues. The team is hopeful that Snell will miss just one start.

Snell is 12-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 20 starts. He is tied for second in the AL in wins, third in ERA and eighth in strikeouts with 134 in 119 innings.

Suter done for season: Brewers left-handed starter Brent Suter will have Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Suter had an MRI that revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He left Milwaukee’s 11-2 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday after three innings when he felt pain – the team initially diagnosed it as a strain, the same injury that led to a stint on the disabled list late last month.

Suter said he would have the elbow surgery in the near future.

The 28-year-old Suter had pitched a career-high 1011/3 innings this season, going 8-7 with a 4.80 ERA in 20 appearances, including 18 starts.