Edinson Volquez took the blame for the pitch that ruined his start.

The Cincinnati Reds right-hander said he shook off catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first-pitch fastball that Yadier Molina hit for a three-run homer in the sixth inning of a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night. Though it was his 100th pitch, Volquez said fatigue was not a factor.

“No, no, I was good,” Volquez said. “I just made a mistake. I just threw the wrong pitch. That was my call, too.”

Jake Westbrook threw six innings of three-hit ball in his first career start on three days’ rest for the Cardinals. The outing was the longest of the season for Westbrook (2-2), who entered with a 9.82 ERA and was strafed for seven runs in three innings Wednesday against the Nationals. The early hook after 68 pitches perhaps allowed Westbrook to rebound and help the Cardinals take two of three, break a tie with Cincinnati for first place in the NL Central and go to 11-0-1 in home series against the Reds since 2006.

The Cardinals had two men on with two out, both on pop-ups, before Molina’s homer.

“That pitch was supposed to be inside, but it got a little too much of the plate and Molina is a smart hitter,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Most of the time, in that situation he’s going to shoot you into right field, but that time it looked like he was looking for it in there.”

Baker said Volquez would have been done for the night after the sixth.

“What are you going to do, are you going to take him out right there?” Baker said. “The way he had manipulated his way through the inning, do you give him a chance to get out of that or do you bring somebody else in to take a chance of losing this game?

“That was his game and his pitch count wasn’t that high and he was throwing the ball great, he just barely missed on that location.”

Albert Pujols was removed for precautionary reasons after seven innings with mild tightness in right hamstring.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of doubles for the Reds, who were shut out for the first time and have lost nine of 11.

Volquez (2-1), who warmed up but did not pitch in a rain-delayed game Friday, had all seven of his strikeouts in the first four innings and limited the Cardinals to four hits in the first five before fading. Matt Holliday doubled with one out, followed by an intentional walk to Lance Berkman, and Daniel Descalso fouled out before Molina jumped on a first-pitch fastball for his first homer.

Volquez has allowed seven home runs, one off the league lead.

Phillips doubled with one out in the fourth for the first hit off Westbrook and doubled again in the sixth, both times ignoring boos from fans who can’t forget his role in a brawl last August in Cincinnati. Umpires presumably can’t forget either, with plate umpire John Hirshbeck warning both benches after Aroldis Chapman threw well inside against Molina in the eighth inning.

Volquez replaced Sam LeCure in the series finale, with LeCure the probable pitcher Monday night in Milwaukee.

Westbrook struck out four and walked three while throwing 87 pitches. He’s 8-18 with a 5.00 ERA for his career in April, by far his worst month, even after mastering the Reds. His previous outing, on six days’ rest due to a rainout, was his shortest in nearly four seasons.

Mitchell Boggs worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances since replacing Ryan Franklin at the beginning of a 4-2 homestand and relievers combined for six strikeouts in three innings. The Cardinals have won 10 of 14 overall.

Notes: Tony La Russa is much improved from a virus leaving the right side of his face swollen and eye nearly closed earlier in the homestand. … Molina threw out a runner attempting to steal and homered in the same game for the fifth time in his career, according to STATS LLC. … Reds RHP Homer Bailey (shoulder) worked 5 1-3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing three hits with six strikeouts and a walk, and the team will decide Monday whether he will need another start. … Joey Votto has reached base safely in all 22 games. … Chapman has not allowed an earned run in 10 appearances covering 9 2-3 innings.

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cincinnati pitcher Edinson Volquez got tired during his first outing of the spring Thursday. Not his arm, that was fine. But it’s amazing Volquez didn’t nod off in the dugout after his recent schedule.

Volquez, the scheduled Opening Day starter, went 2 1/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. He walked two, struck out two and threw 60 pitches in his first outing of the spring because of visa problems that caused him to return to the Dominican Republic.

“I got a little tired,” he said. “My arm felt strong. But my body got a little tired.”

Volquez spent all of Wednesday traveling. He left the Dominican at 7:30 a.m., flew to New York and caught a flight to Phoenix, which arrived at 10:30 p.m.

“I was happy to be on the mound again,” he said.

In order to get there, Volquez had to deal with another dose of government bureaucracy in his quest to obtain his work visa. He flew Sunday to the Dominican for his Monday morning appointment. After that, he went to the U.S. Consulate.

“They said my visa wasn’t ready, so I left my passport,” Volquez said.

The call came Wednesday that the visa was ready.

“I was worried bad,” he said. “I was like, ‘I can’t wait anymore, I’ve got to get back to Arizona.’”

Volquez’s visa was held up because he failed a Major League Baseball drug test for performance-enhancing drugs and was suspended for 50 games in 2010. Volquez took and passed two drug tests — one by MLB, the other by the consulate — before leaving the Dominican the first time Feb. 16. He’s passed two more since arriving in camp.

Volquez will start a minor league game March 15, an off day. He’ll get two more starts before Opening Day.

“I think I’ll be OK,” he said. “I threw a little bit down there (in the Dominican) at the complex. When they told me Monday morning my visa wasn’t ready, I went to the complex.”

He thinks he’ll be fine going into the season.

“I’ve thrown so many bullpen sessions and simulated games,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be ready.”

Volquez said he won’t have to go through this process in 2012.

“That’s what they say,” he said, spoken like a man who’s dealt with a lot of bureaucrats lately.

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CINCINNATI — After one year on Reds’ radio broadcasts, Jim Kelch will move part-time into the television booth.

The former Louisville baseball announcer, who joined Reds radio full-time in 2010, will replace Paul Keels as the secondary Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play announcer when not on radio.

“I’m very thrilled with the opportunity, and glad the Reds believed in me and think I can do the job,” Kelch said.

Kelch did TV and radio for the minor-league Louisville franchise from 1989-2009. He did two Reds games for FSN Ohio last season.

Keels was dropped because of scheduling conflicts as Ohio State’s football play-by-play announcer, according to FSN Ohio vice president Tom Farmer.

The decision was made in September after analyst Chris Welsh was forced to do play-by-play when neither Thom Brennaman nor Keels could work a series against Colorado.

“We thought we could work around his (Keels’) schedule. None of us realized how much Ohio State impacted his schedule,” Farmer said.

FSN Ohio also announced this week former Reds first baseman Sean Casey will work about 15 games in 2011.

Several games will air nationally in addition to the 145 planned for FSN Ohio.

ESPN plans two Sunday night games (in St. Louis on April 24 and in Atlanta on May 29), and four Monday games (the Phillies on May 23 and Aug. 29; the Yankees in Cincinnati June 20; and the Mets in Cincinnati July 25).

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