The St. Louis Cardinals got a huge break in Cincinnati, and they made the most of it.
What should have been the final out instead turned into a collapse for the Reds, as outfielder Dane Myers dropped a fly ball that would have ended the game. From there, the Cardinals poured on six runs in the inning and walked away with a 10-9 win.
At the time, Cincinnati was up 5-4 and on the verge of beating a division rival. Instead, the Reds handed away a game that had been right there for the taking, and the mistake only got worse with two outs in the inning when four more runs crossed.
The Reds still made things interesting. They pushed across four runs in the bottom of the ninth and tried to create even more chaos, but they couldn’t finish the comeback.
It was another painful result in a season that has gone off track for Cincinnati after making the playoffs in 2025. The offense has power, but the pitching has been a mess all year, and the staff once again couldn’t hold up in a key moment.
For St. Louis, the win pulls them to within 2.5 games of the final National League Wild Card spot. The Reds, meanwhile, sit seven games back and would need one of the biggest miracles in the sport to get back into the postseason picture.
If the Cardinals do manage to sneak in, this could be one of the moments they point to when they look back.
In Other News...
Joshua Bez Hype Just Ran Into A Tough Cardinals Reality
Joshua Bez could not have scripted a louder start for the Cardinals. In his MLB debut, the young outfielder launched three home runs in his first three at-bats, instantly feeding the kind of buzz that follows a top prospect the moment he arrives. The power and speed tools that have made him one of the more intriguing names in the system were all on display, and for a night, it looked as if St. Louis might have found something special.
Since then, the picture has been much more ordinary, and a lot less forgiving. Bez has gone 0-for-16 with six strikeouts, a stretch that underscores the same swing-and-miss concerns evaluators have long pointed to, especially when it comes to strikeouts and chase rates. The upside is still obvious, but the Cardinals are now seeing the harder side of prospect development, where one dazzling debut does not erase how much adjustment still has to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Are Already Reconsidering Joshua Baez In Left Field
Joshua Baezs early MLB surge had already given the Cardinals something to think about, but the picture in left field shifted quickly once the rookies hot start cooled off. After opening his career with three home runs in his first three plate appearances, he went hitless in the next stretch and then found himself out of the lineup for the first time since his debut. In a recent game against the Reds, St. Louis turned to Nathan Church, Jordan Walker and Bryan Torres instead, a sign the club is still sorting out how to handle the spot as the season winds down.
The Cardinals have not moved away from Baez entirely, and they still expect him to be part of the mix. The bigger question is whether left field ever settles into a true everyday role at all, or if Oliver Marmol simply rides the hot hand from one game to the next. For a team trying to squeeze value out of the final games, that kind of committee approach makes sense, but it also leaves Baez in a more complicated place than he was when his first few swings made the decision look easy. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Burleson Is Giving The Cardinals More Than Just RBIs
Alec Burleson has already given the Cardinals plenty at the plate, where he has emerged as the major league leader in RBIs, but his value is starting to stretch beyond the batters box. At first base, his work has become a bigger part of the conversation this season, especially as St. Louis looks for more stability around a position that can quietly influence a lot of plays.
Traditional defensive metrics have not always been kind to Burleson, yet a newer measure tells a different story. Receiving Outs Above Average has him rated as the best in the majors at handling throws at first base, a sign that his glove work is giving teammates something real to lean on while his offense continues to carry a heavy load. [Read more 🡒]