Cincinnati Reds FALLING OUT of NL Wild Card Race, Lose 4th Straight Game | St. Louis Cardinals Recap
Craig Sandlin and Austin Layton will be LIVE in the 9th inning!
On Friday, August 29, 2025, the Cincinnati Reds (68-66, 3rd in NL Central) host the St. Louis Cardinals (66-69, 4th in NL Central) at Great American Ball Park for the first of a three-game series, starting at 6:40 p.m. ET. This NL Central clash carries playoff implications, with the Reds 4.0 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot and the Cardinals trailing by 6.5. Both teams are looking to gain ground in a tight divisional race.
The Reds, coming off a tough 1-6 road trip, rely on their offense led by Elly De La Cruz, who boasts 19 home runs and 77 RBIs, ranking 63rd and 24th in MLB, respectively. De La Cruz is on a two-game hitting streak but has batted .227 over his last five games. TJ Friedl (.266, 10 HRs, 62 walks) adds consistency, carrying a three-game hitting streak. Miguel Andujar has been hot, hitting .333 with eight RBIs over the past 10 games. On the mound, Zack Littell (9-8, 4.27 ERA) starts for Cincinnati. His last outing was shaky, allowing three earned runs in three innings against Arizona, but the Reds’ pitching staff ranks third in the NL for ERA.
The Cardinals, fresh off a series split with Pittsburgh, counter with Matthew Liberatore (6-11, 4.27 ERA), who allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings against Tampa Bay last outing. St. Louis’ offense is paced by Willson Contreras (19 HRs, 73 RBIs) and Alec Burleson (.286 BA, .310 over the last 10 games). The Cardinals have hit eight homers in their last 10 games but struggle with a .226 team batting average in that span. Their pitching has a 4.66 ERA over the same period, allowing 13 homers.
Betting odds favor the Reds at -135 on the moneyline, with the Cardinals at +114. The run line is set at Reds -1.5 (+162) and the over/under at 9 runs. Great American Ball Park’s hitter-friendly environment (2nd in MLB for HR park factor) could lead to a high-scoring affair. Expect a competitive game, with the Reds’ slight edge in pitching and home-field advantage potentially making the difference.
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Andrew Abbott, Julian Aguiar, Graham Ashcraft, Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagán, Fernando Cruz, Alexis Díaz, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Tony Santillan, Carson Spiers, Brent Suter, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, Tyler Stephenson, José Trevino, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Santiago Espinal, Jonathan India, Noelvi Marte, Edwin Ríos, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, Austin Hays, Spencer Steer, Jacob Hurtubise, Blake Dunn, Cooper Bowman
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