Pitching Matchup: Rhett Lowder (CIN) vs. Dustin May (STL)
Venue: Busch Stadium — St. Louis, Missouri
Scheduled First Pitch: 7:15 PM CT / 5:15 PM PT
Venue Profile — Busch Stadium
A pitcher‑friendly ballpark with deep gaps and heavy summer air.
Dimensions: Deep LCF (390 ft), spacious CF (400 ft)
Park Factor: Suppresses HRs, boosts doubles/triples
Weather Impact: Humid July air reduces carry
Cardinals’ Home Record: Above .500, strong pitching performances at home
Busch Stadium favors ground‑ball pitchers and line‑drive hitters, making this a favorable environment for Dustin May’s arsenal.
Weather Forecast — St. Louis, MO
Temperature: 88°F at first pitch
Humidity: 71%
Wind: 8 mph blowing in from right field → suppresses HRs
Sky: Clear
Rain Chance: <10%
Conditions favor pitchers, especially those who induce ground balls.
Injury Report
Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz — SS: Active
Matt McLain — 2B: Active
Christian Encarnacion‑Strand — 1B: Active
TJ Friedl — OF: Day‑to‑day (hamstring)
Pitching Staff:
Rhett Lowder: Active
Hunter Greene: Active
Nick Lodolo: 15‑day IL (forearm)
St. Louis Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt — 1B: Active
Nolan Arenado — 3B: Active
Masyn Winn — SS: Active
Jordan Walker — OF: Active
Pitching Staff:
Dustin May: Active
Miles Mikolas: Active
Ryan Helsley: Active
Pitching Matchup — Lowder vs. May
Rhett Lowder — RHP, Reds
2026 Stats: 4.31 ERA | 1.29 WHIP | 8.7 K/9
Strengths: Strong command, good changeup, induces ground balls
Weaknesses: Occasional HR issues vs RHB
Recent Form:
Last 3 starts: 17.0 IP, 9 ER, 4 HR allowed
Road ERA: 4.58
Lowder’s command is solid, but St. Louis’ veteran lineup poses a challenge.
Dustin May — RHP, Cardinals
2026 Stats: 3.44 ERA | 1.17 WHIP | 9.5 K/9
Strengths: Elite sinker, induces heavy ground balls, strong vs RHB
Weaknesses: Occasional walk issues
Recent Form:
Last 3 starts: 19.1 IP, 5 ER, 24 K
Home ERA: 3.12
May’s sinker/slider combo is a perfect fit for Busch Stadium’s dimensions.
Key Player Matchups
Reds Offense vs. May
Elly De La Cruz: .276 vs RHP, elite speed → triples threat
Matt McLain: .281 vs RHP, strong gap power
CES: .259 vs RHP, HR upside
Spencer Steer: .268 vs RHP, excellent plate discipline
Cincinnati ranks middle‑of‑the‑pack in OPS vs right‑handed pitching.
Cardinals Offense vs. Lowder
Paul Goldschmidt: .292 vs RHP, elite contact
Nolan Arenado: .278 vs RHP, strong gap power
Jordan Walker: .271 vs RHP, rising star
Masyn Winn: .265 vs RHP, speed threat
St. Louis ranks top‑12 in MLB in OPS vs right‑handed pitching.
Recent Team Form
Cincinnati Reds (47–54)
Last 10 games: 4–6
Road Record: 22–29
Offense: 18th in runs per game
Pitching: 20th in ERA
Cincinnati remains inconsistent and struggles on the road.
St. Louis Cardinals (52–50)
Last 10 games: 6–4
Home Record: 28–23
Offense: 14th in runs per game
Pitching: 12th in ERA
St. Louis is trending upward and pushing for NL Wild Card positioning.
Series History
2026 Season Series: Cardinals lead 3–2
Last 20 Meetings: Cardinals lead 12–8
At Busch Stadium: Cardinals have won 7 of the last 10
St. Louis has consistently controlled this matchup at home.
Betting Trends
Reds are 17–33 on the road vs teams above .500
Cardinals are 25–13 at home vs teams under .500
Reds overs hit more on the road due to pitching volatility
Cardinals unders hit more at home due to park factors
Game Odds
Cincinnati Reds 8.5
St. Louis Cardinals – 160
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, July 23, 2026
