The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds delivered two closely contested games Monday at Great American Ball Park, splitting a day-night doubleheader in an important NL Central matchup.
St. Louis opened the day with a 2-1 victory behind strong pitching and timely hitting from Alec Burleson. Cincinnati responded in the nightcap, rallying for a 6-5, 10-inning walk-off victory on an RBI double by Elly De La Cruz.
Cardinals Take Game 1 Behind Burleson and Dominant Pitching
The Cardinals won the first game 2-1 after six St. Louis pitchers combined to limit Cincinnati to just three hits.
Alec Burleson delivered the key offensive play in the opening inning, hitting a two-run double that brought home Joshua Baez and Ivan Herrera. St. Louis finished with seven hits, with Burleson and Jordan Walker each recording two.
The Cardinals’ pitching staff was even more impressive. St. Louis struck out 15 Reds hitters and retired 18 of the final 19 batters it faced.
Riley O’Brien closed out the victory in impressive fashion, striking out the side in the ninth inning to collect his National League-leading 31st save.
Dane Myers accounted for two of Cincinnati’s three hits, including a solo home run in the fourth inning. The homer came against Quinn Mathews, who struck out seven in his second career MLB start.
Mathews also escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning after Cincinnati put runners on with one out. The left-hander got Noelvi Marte to foul out before forcing Ke’Bryan Hayes to ground out.
Reds Rally to Win Game 2
Cincinnati answered in dramatic fashion during the second game, overcoming a late deficit to defeat St. Louis 6-5 in 10 innings.
Elly De La Cruz delivered the decisive hit in the bottom of the 10th. With automatic runner Tyler Stephenson at second base, De La Cruz lined a 3-2 pitch from Justin Bruihl into left field to give Cincinnati the walk-off win.
The hit was especially important for De La Cruz, who had been struggling entering the nightcap. After going 0-for-4 in Game 1, he entered the second game hitting just .114 over his previous 12 games.
De La Cruz finished Game 2 with two hits and provided the Reds with the clutch moment they needed.
Dane Myers Comes Through Again
Dane Myers played a major role for Cincinnati across both games.
After hitting a home run in the opener, Myers returned as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Game 2 and launched another home run. His two-out blast off Peter Strzelecki tied the game at 5-5 and sent the contest into extra innings.
JJ Bleday also had a productive night, going 3-for-4 for his fourth three-hit game of the season. Eugenio Suarez went 3-for-3, scoring once and driving in another run.
Cardinals Build an Early Lead
St. Louis controlled much of the second game before Cincinnati’s late comeback.
Ivan Herrera tied the game in the fourth inning with his 14th home run of the season. Masyn Wynn then gave the Cardinals the lead with a two-out RBI single.
St. Louis added two more runs in the sixth inning. Nathan Church’s single scored Jordan Walker, while Blaze Jordan followed with a two-out hit that brought Church home.
The Cardinals regained a 5-4 advantage in the eighth inning when Bryan Torres delivered a two-out RBI single.
Cincinnati, however, continued to fight.
The Reds scored three runs in the sixth inning to erase a three-run deficit, with Michael Toglia contributing a double and Hector Rodriguez producing a two-run single.
Myers’ ninth-inning home run eventually set up De La Cruz’s walk-off heroics.
Jordan Walker Leads Cardinals Offense
Jordan Walker was one of St. Louis’ most consistent hitters throughout the doubleheader.
The Cardinals All-Star went 5-for-9 across the two games and scored twice. His production helped St. Louis generate offense despite being limited to just one run and three hits in the opener.
Burleson also enjoyed a strong day, providing the decisive two-run double in Game 1, while Herrera added his 14th homer of the season in Game 2.
Cardinals and Reds Continue NL Central Battle
The doubleheader showcased the competitive nature of the Cardinals-Reds rivalry and gave both teams an opportunity to improve their postseason position.
St. Louis entered the series with a 63-61 record and remained within reach of the NL Wild Card race. Cincinnati came into the matchup at 59-64 and was looking to stop a difficult stretch.
The Cardinals had entered Monday leading the season series 5-3. The split allowed St. Louis to maintain its advantage while Cincinnati avoided another loss.
The teams are scheduled to continue their series through Aug. 20, making the remaining games increasingly important as the regular season moves toward its final weeks.
What Comes Next for Cardinals vs Reds?
The split gives both teams positives to build on.
St. Louis can take confidence from its pitching performance in Game 1 and the continued offensive production of Walker and Burleson. Cincinnati showed resilience by overcoming a late deficit and winning an extra-inning thriller.
For the Reds, the clutch performances from De La Cruz, Myers, Bleday and Suarez could provide valuable momentum.
The Cardinals will look to rebound after letting Game 2 slip away, while Cincinnati will try to carry its walk-off victory into the remainder of the series.
With the NL Central and Wild Card races still developing, the rest of the Cardinals vs Reds series could have meaningful postseason implications.
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