Venue: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, Missouri
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: ~45,500
Scheduled First Pitch: 6:15 PM CT / 4:15 PM PT
Weather Forecast (St. Louis, MO)
Temperature: 89°F Humidity: 64% Wind: 8 mph SSW (blowing out toward left‑center) Rain Chance: 20% Conditions: Hot, humid Midwest evening — slight carry boost for right‑handed power hitters.
Injury Report
Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz – SS: Active, minor shoulder tightness
Matt McLain – 2B: Day‑to‑day, hamstring soreness
Nick Lodolo – LHP: 15‑day IL, forearm strain
TJ Friedl – OF: Day‑to‑day, wrist bruise
Alexis Díaz – RHP: Out, elbow inflammation
St. Louis Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt – 1B: Active, minor back stiffness
Nolan Arenado – 3B: Day‑to‑day, knee soreness
Sonny Gray – RHP: 15‑day IL, shoulder fatigue
Willson Contreras – C: Day‑to‑day, thumb bruise
Ryan Helsley – RHP: Out, elbow recovery
Pitching Matchup Breakdown
Hunter Greene – RHP, Reds
2026 Season: 3.88 ERA | 1.24 WHIP | 122.1 IP | 148 K | 39 BB
Profile: Upper‑90s fastball, slider, occasional changeup; elite strikeout ability.
Strengths: Misses bats at elite rate; dominant vs. right‑handed hitters; strong road strikeout numbers.
Weaknesses: Occasional home‑run susceptibility; Cardinals’ right‑handed power (Goldschmidt, Arenado) is dangerous.
Vs. Cardinals Lineup:
St. Louis struggles vs. elite velocity.
Greene’s slider must be sharp to neutralize Arenado.
Andre Pallante – RHP, Cardinals
2026 Season: 3.74 ERA | 1.28 WHIP | 109.2 IP | 89 K | 33 BB
Profile: Sinker/slider/changeup; induces ground balls; strong command.
Strengths: Excellent vs. right‑handed hitters; keeps ball down; strong home splits.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to left‑handed power; Reds’ lefties (Fraley, Benson) match up well.
Vs. Reds Lineup:
Cincinnati’s aggressive approach can elevate Pallante’s pitch count.
Must avoid middle‑middle sinkers to De La Cruz.
Key Player Matchups
Elly De La Cruz (CIN) vs. Andre Pallante
De La Cruz crushes sinkers and elevated fastballs.
Pallante must rely on his slider to disrupt timing.
Christian Encarnacion‑Strand (CIN) vs. Pallante
CES’s power vs. righties is dangerous.
Pallante must avoid predictable sinker/slider sequences.
Paul Goldschmidt (STL) vs. Hunter Greene
Goldschmidt excels vs. high‑velocity fastballs.
Greene must rely on his slider to neutralize him.
Nolan Arenado (STL) vs. Greene
Arenado’s bat speed matches well vs. elite velocity.
Greene must avoid elevated fastballs in hitter‑friendly conditions.
Recent Team Form
Cincinnati Reds
Last 10 Games: 4–6
Road Record: 23–30
Offense: 4.4 runs/game; inconsistent; high strikeout rate
Pitching: 4.29 team ERA; bullpen unreliable
Trend: Competitive but streaky; offense depends heavily on De La Cruz.
St. Louis Cardinals
Last 10 Games: 6–4
Home Record: 29–23
Offense: 4.7 runs/game; strong situational hitting
Pitching: 3.96 team ERA; bullpen stabilizing
Trend: Playing confident baseball; lineup producing timely hits.
Series History
2024–2026 Combined: Cardinals lead 20–15
At Busch Stadium: Cardinals lead 11–7
St. Louis has won four of the last six meetings.
Games tend to be moderately high‑scoring (avg. 8.6 runs/game).
Betting Trends
Cincinnati Reds
4–6 in last 10 games
5–5 in Greene’s last ten starts
Under has hit in 6 of last 9 Reds games
St. Louis Cardinals
6–4 in last 10 home games
5–2 in Pallante’s last seven starts
Over has hit in 5 of last 8 Cardinals games
Head‑to‑Head
Cardinals have won 6 of last 10 meetings
Over has hit in 7 of last 10 matchups
Busch Stadium boosts right‑handed power in summer conditions
Game Odds
Cincinnati Reds 8
St. Louis Cardinals – 107
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, July 24, 2026
