ST. LOUIS -- — Alec Burleson homered and scored four runs, Lars Nootbaar added two hits and an RBI in his season debut and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3 on Friday night.

Nootbaar had surgery on both heels in October. Batting leadoff, he singled in his first at-bat. His RBI double started a six-run sixth.

After the Reds scored three runs in the first, St. Louis reeled off 10 straight runs. Eight Cardinals drove in a run.

Hunter Dobbins (1-0) pitched the final five innings in relief of starter Kyle Leahy.

Brady Singer (2-6) threw 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.

Jordan Walker, who had three hits, drove in a run with a RBI double to center off reliever Brock Burke in the fifth to make it 4-3.

Burleson led off the third with a home run into the right-field bullpen.

The Cardinals scored a run in the first on what should have been the third out. Stewart, the first baseman, didn’t have his foot on the base when he got a throw from second baseman Spencer Steer, and Iván Herrera scored.

The Reds challenged and lost. Manager Terry Francona was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Chris Conroy.

After a walk to load the bases, Singer uncorked a wild pitch and Burleson scored, cutting the Reds' lead to 3-2.

Cincinnati rookie Sol Stewart doubled home two runs in first inning. Stewart leads all National League rookies in RBI (39) and doubles (13). He then scored on a single to left by Eugenio Suárez, giving the Reds a 3-0 lead.

Up next Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (2-1, 5.20) was set to face Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 4.35) in the second game of the series Saturday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb