Venue: Great American Ball Park — Cincinnati, Ohio
First Pitch: 1:40 PM ET
Broadcast: Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.TV
The Cardinals and Reds close out their weekend series in a matchup featuring two teams trending upward in the NL Central. St. Louis has won 7 of its last 10 and continues to surge behind strong pitching and timely hitting, while Cincinnati has clawed back above .500 thanks to improved rotation stability and a rejuvenated offense. Sunday’s finale features Matthew Liberatore against Brady Singer, a matchup that could tilt toward offense in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
Venue & Weather
Great American Ball Park — Cincinnati, OH
Weather Forecast (May 24):
- Temperature: 78–82°F
- Wind: 8–12 mph out to right-center
- Humidity: 60%
- Rain: <10%
- Impact:
- Warm air + wind out = boost for left-handed power hitters
- One of MLB’s top HR parks → expect scoring opportunities
- Pitchers who rely on fly-ball outs are at risk
Injury Report
St. Louis Cardinals
- Nolan Arenado — Day-to-day (back stiffness)
- Willson Contreras — OUT (forearm)
- Tommy Edman — Active
- Lars Nootbaar — Active
- Steven Matz — OUT (shoulder)
Cincinnati Reds
- Elly De La Cruz — Active
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand — OUT (wrist)
- TJ Friedl — Day-to-day (hamstring)
- Nick Lodolo — OUT (forearm)
- Alexis Díaz — Active
Team Records & Recent Form
St. Louis Cardinals (29–21)
- Last 10: 7–3
- Trend: Pitching stabilizing, offense improving
- Strength: Balanced lineup, strong bullpen
- Weakness: Middle-of-order depth without Contreras
Cincinnati Reds (26–25)
- Last 10: 6–4
- Trend: Offense heating up, rotation competitive
- Strength: Speed, power, aggressive baserunning
- Weakness: Bullpen inconsistency
Probable Pitching Matchup
St. Louis — LHP Matthew Liberatore (3–3, 4.22 ERA)
- Profile:
- Curveball-heavy lefty
- Generates ground balls when sharp
- Command can fluctuate
- Splits:
- Vs RHB: .268 AVG
- Vs LHB: .241 AVG
- Road ERA: 4.60
- Matchup Notes:
- Reds’ right-handed bats (India, Stephenson, De La Cruz from right side) are key
- Fly-ball tendencies could be punished in Cincinnati
Cincinnati — RHP Brady Singer (4–3, 3.71 ERA)
- Profile:
- Sinker/slider specialist
- Generates weak contact when locating
- Struggles when forced up in the zone
- Splits:
- Vs RHB: .244 AVG
- Vs LHB: .262 AVG
- Home ERA: 3.95
- Matchup Notes:
- Cardinals’ lefties (Nootbaar, Donovan, Gorman) match up well
- Singer must avoid middle-in sinkers to power hitters
Key Player Matchups
1. Elly De La Cruz (CIN) vs. Matthew Liberatore
- Elite bat speed + power
- Liberatore must avoid hanging curveballs Advantage: Cincinnati
2. Lars Nootbaar (STL) vs. Brady Singer
- Nootbaar crushes sinkers and thrives in hitter-friendly parks Advantage: St. Louis
3. Paul Goldschmidt (STL) vs. Singer
- Goldschmidt has historically hit sinkerballers well
- Singer must keep pitches low Advantage: St. Louis
4. Jonathan India (CIN) vs. Liberatore
- India’s patience could force long innings Advantage: Even
Series History
- 2025 Season: Cardinals won 9–4
- 2026 Season: Cardinals lead season series 3–2 entering Sunday
- At Great American Ball Park (last 12): St. Louis leads 7–5
- Trend: Cardinals have consistently hit well in Cincinnati
Betting Trends
St. Louis Cardinals
- Cardinals are 8–3 in last 11 games
- Over is 6–2 in last 8 road games
- St. Louis is 5–1 in Liberatore’s last 6 starts
Cincinnati Reds
- Reds are 5–2 in last 7 home games
- Over is 7–3 in last 10 Reds games
- Cincinnati is 4–1 in Singer’s last 5 starts
GAME ODDS
St. Louis Cardinals 9.5
Cincinnati Reds – 114
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, May 23, 2026
