CINCINNATI — On a day when momentum was within reach, the St. Louis Cardinals had a clear path: win, and they’d leapfrog the Reds in the standings and finally get back to .500. But instead of stepping forward, they stumbled — hard.
Behind a flurry of strikeouts, a costly early error, and missed chances, the Cardinals dropped the series finale 7-4 to the Reds on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park — a loss that felt emblematic of their up-and-down season.
The game was there for the taking. The Cardinals had solid enough pitching to hang around. They had young players showing flashes of excitement. But once again, the little things — the swing-and-miss approach at the plate, the bobbled ball in the infield, the one pitch left just a little too high — proved fatal.
Strikeouts Stall the Offense
Just one day after their pitchers pulled off a win without registering a single strikeout — a statistical oddity in today’s game — the Cardinals’ hitters completely reversed the script. They struck out a season-high 15 times, including 10 from the bottom four spots in the lineup. It was a glaring reminder that consistency continues to elude this team.
Time and time again, the Cardinals failed to put the ball in play when it mattered most, chasing pitches out of the zone and struggling to adjust to the Reds’ bullpen arms. The lack of offensive rhythm left their solid pitching effort unsupported — and the game slowly slipped away.
Costly Error Opens the Door
For rookie second baseman César Prieto, making his major league debut, Sunday started with nerves and ended with a tough lesson. In the second inning, with a chance to make a routine play, Prieto mishandled a slow ground ball, and by the time he recovered, he lost the grip on the throw. That one error opened the floodgates.
The Reds jumped on the opportunity, loading the bases and cashing in with three runs — all unearned, but very much deserved in the moment. It was the kind of moment that defined the afternoon: one small crack that led to a larger collapse.
Pallante Hangs Tough — Until He Didn’t
Starter Andre Pallante turned in a gritty performance, scattering six hits and striking out six through five innings. He pitched well enough to win — but didn’t get much help. Four walks put pressure on him throughout, and one key moment unraveled everything.
In the fifth, Pallante appeared to strike out Austin Hays on a check swing with two outs, but the first-base umpire kept Hays alive. One pitch later, Pallante left a slider up in the zone — and Hays crushed it into the left-field stands for a two-run homer that broke the tie and gave Cincinnati a 5-3 lead they wouldn’t give back.
Rookies Show Glimpses of Promise
Amid the loss, there were bright spots — especially from the club’s youth. Catcher Jimmy Crooks, making his first big-league start, delivered a moment he’ll never forget. Down 0-2 in the count against lefty Sam Moll, Crooks stayed patient, worked the count full, and then unloaded on a sweeping slider, launching it into the right-field seats for his first career hit — a solo homer that brought the Cards back within one.
Prieto, despite the early error, also recorded his first big-league hit later in the game, showing the kind of resilience that the Cardinals hope will carry him forward.
A Rally That Came Up Short
Lars Nootbaar was one of the few offensive standouts. He reached base multiple times, and in the third inning, he ignited a rally with a deep drive to right-center that turned into a triple after Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte lost control of the ball while crashing into the wall.
Later that inning, Nootbaar was called out on a bang-bang play at the plate while trying to score on a sac fly — but the Cardinals challenged, and replay confirmed he slid in just ahead of the tag. That tied the game 3-3, a brief flicker of momentum — until the Reds struck back in the fifth.
Where Do They Go From Here?
Instead of riding a sweep into September with a renewed sense of urgency, the Cardinals (68-70) walk away from Cincinnati still stuck in neutral — hovering below .500 and running out of time to make a push in the standings. Sunday’s loss didn’t just cost them a series sweep; it underscored the flaws that have nagged them all season: inconsistent offense, avoidable mistakes, and missed chances in winnable games.
The Reds, meanwhile, held off a skid, escaped with a win, and avoided falling below .500 — maintaining control of their spot in a tightly packed division race.
Bottom line? On a day the Cardinals could’ve made a statement, they struck out — literally and figuratively.
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