The Reds got the opener they wanted in St. Louis, and now they’re one win away from locking up the series.
Cincinnati backed up solid pitching with timely offense Friday night in a 4-2 win over the Cardinals, and the same formula is back on the table Saturday at Busch Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.
ET, with Hunter Greene on the mound for the Reds and Andre Pallante starting for St. Louis.
Greene’s season has been a slow build after he missed nearly all of the first half following bone spur removal from his elbow during spring training. His first start back came July 4, and it was a rough one: Baltimore tagged him for eight runs in 3.1 innings, with four walks, a homer and seven hits. But he has looked much sharper in his two outings since, allowing three runs across 13.0 innings while walking one and striking out 19.
The numbers against Greene from 2025 show a pitcher who didn’t give hitters much of anything easy. Right-handed batters hit .199 with a .241 on-base percentage and .353 slugging mark, while lefties hit .184/.251/.384. Neither side reached base well, and when the ball was put in play, the damage was there more often against lefties.
Pallante has had a steadier season overall, though the last few weeks have been uneven. Over his last four starts, he’s given up 14 runs in 22.2 innings and struck out 11, though one of those outings was a 5.2-inning shutout. He also saw Cincinnati back on May 23 in a doubleheader and allowed one run in 6.0 innings.
The matchup data on Pallante points to a pitcher who forces contact from both sides. Right-handed hitters have managed a .225 average against him with little power, while left-handed hitters have done more damage, batting .273 with a .418 slugging percentage. The split is even more pronounced at home, where he has a 4.99 ERA and a .759 OPS against compared to 2.66 and .581 on the road.
Cincinnati’s lineup again features Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, with Sal Stewart at first, JJ Bleday in left, Eugenio Suarez at designated hitter, Tyler Stephenson catching, Noelvi Marte in right, TJ Friedl in center, Edwin Arroyo at second and Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. St. Louis counters with JJ Wetherholt at second, Jordan Walker in right, Alec Burleson at first, Ivan Herrera behind the plate, Lars Nootbaar in left, Masyn Winn at short, Bryan Torres at DH, Blaze Jordan at third and Nathan Church in center.
There was also movement on the Reds’ roster front. Matt McLain was expected to begin a rehab assignment with Louisville this week, and he did join the Bats in Toledo on Friday night, going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Blake Dunn, though, is not headed out on a rehab assignment after Jim Day noted on the broadcast that the team has paused that plan and that elbow surgery may be on the table.
Cincinnati also signed Kenny Ishikawa, its 13th-round draft pick. The left-handed pitcher and outfielder was drafted as a two-way player, and the Reds may give him a shot to do both early and see how it develops. The club has now signed 19 of its 21 picks.
Elsewhere in the system, the Arizona Complex League playoffs begin tonight after the Reds’ rookie-level affiliate won its division on the final day of the season. Cincinnati will be one of four teams competing for the league title.
In the division race, Milwaukee leads at 64-39, followed by Chicago at 58-45, Pittsburgh at 53-51, St. Louis at 52-51 and Cincinnati at 48-54. Fangraphs gives the Reds a 2.2% chance to reach the playoffs.
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