
Aug. 20, 2026 Updated 7:14 am EDT
The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds play a rubber match on Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET, with the series deadlocked at 2-2. Michael McGreevy (5-9, 3.48 ERA) gets the start for the Cardinals, who are 65-63 this season and third in the NL Central. Brady Singer (5-11, 4.66 ERA) is the expected starter for the Reds, who are 61-66 and fifth in the NL Central.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati RedsCardinals vs. Reds odds
Favorite Moneyline: Cardinals -120
Underdog Moneyline: Reds +100
Total: 9
Total Over Odds: -105
Total Under Odds: -115
Injury reportsCardinals
Ramón Urías: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Max Rajcic: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
Reds
Spencer Steer: 10 Day IL (Wrist), Tony Santillan: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Hunter Greene: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Graham Ashcraft: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Brandon Williamson: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Blake Dunn: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
Stats to know
St. Louis’ Alec Burleson is slashing .289/.354/.491 this season with 21 home runs, 92 RBIs (2nd in MLB) and an OPS of .845 (20th in MLB). He has a 16.7% strikeout rate and an 8.5% walk rate in 539 plate appearances, and he has scored 72 total runs.
In 530 plate appearances, Jordan Walker has hit 25 long balls (18th in MLB), tallied 90 RBIs (4th in MLB) and scored 77 runs (17th in MLB). He is batting .288/.347/.502 and has posted a 24.2% strikeout rate and a 7.7% walk rate. Walker has recorded 17 steals on 22 attempts.
Sal Stewart is hitting for a .259 BA, .334 OBP and .476 SLG with a 21.9% strikeout rate and a 9.9% walk rate. His OPS is .810 and he has scored 69 runs. In 548 plate appearances, he has hit 27 home runs (14th in MLB) and driven in 93 runs (1st in MLB). Stewart has recorded 12 steals on 16 attempts.
In 482 plate appearances, Elly De La Cruz has slashed .259/.340/.468 this season. He has hit 20 long balls and driven in 57 runs with a strikeout rate of 27.4% and a walk rate of 10.8%. He has stolen 21 bases on 29 attempts and has scored 70 runs.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images
Aug 20, 2026
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle