Jaime Garcia picks up first win in a year

The Cincinnati Reds-St. Louis Cardinals rivalry is already heated enough, but the Cardinal victory had sentimental value for Jaime Garcia. It was his first win in a year.

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In his second start since undergoing labrum and rotator cuff surgery last may, Garcia gave up six hits and 2 runs on his way to picking up a win over 5.2 innings in Cincinnati.

“I didn’t go as deep as I wanted to,” Garcia told Yahoo. “But it’s a big win for me, for the team. Obviously I’m excited to go out there and feel healthy.”

The Cardinals have had a parade of starters fill Garcia’s void this season, most notably Joe Kelly, who gave up only one earned run in his three starts.

Garcia made a big splash in 2010 as a 23- year old rookie, going 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA in 28 starts. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, but his career was never quite as successful.

Garcia had another impressive 13-7 season to follow, but his ERA and WHIP rapidly increased over the next two seasons. For the Cardinals, having Garcia was important, as longtime ace Chris Carpenter was often battling injuries that would eliminate him from the roster for a season at a time.