The St. Louis Cardinals scratched out a 10-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at Great American Ball Park, completing a come-from-behind victory in a back-and-forth nine-inning divisional battle. Jordan Walker delivered the big blow with a home run and four RBIs, while José Fermín chipped in two hits and two RBIs off the bench. Peter Strzelecki earned the win and Riley O'Brien closed it out for the save, preserving a one-run Cardinals advantage that barely held.

Cardinals Offense Leans on Walker and Fermín

Walker was the story at the plate for St. Louis. The outfielder went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, providing the kind of production the Cardinals needed to keep pace in a game that never felt safe. Fermín added two hits and two RBIs in two at-bats, making the most of his opportunities and giving the Cardinals crucial depth in their run total.

On the Cincinnati side, Matt McLain matched Walker's output — 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs — keeping the Reds in the game deep into the evening. The two performances mirrored each other, which made the pitching decisions in the final innings all the more critical.

Starting Pitching Leaves Both Bullpens Exposed Early

Michael McGreevy started for St. Louis and gave the Cardinals 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was a serviceable but not clean outing — enough to keep the Cardinals in striking distance but not enough to hand the bullpen a comfortable lead.

Brady Singer started for Cincinnati and worked six innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Both starters left their respective bullpens with work to do, and the late innings got messy in a hurry.

Turning Point: A Chaotic Final Two Innings

The game turned on the Cardinals' ability to generate runs in the final frames against a Cincinnati bullpen that struggled with control. George Soriano was charged with four earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning, walking three and allowing one hit. Riley O'Brien followed with a shaky one-third of an inning — a hit and two walks — but held on to record the final outs and secure the save.

Ryne Stanek had a rough stretch for St. Louis as well, surrendering two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning during the middle innings. But Peter Strzelecki steadied things, tossing two clean innings — no runs, no hits, one walk, one strikeout — to earn the win. Strzelecki's contribution was the steadiest pitching performance of the final four innings for either club.

Brock Burke took the loss for Cincinnati, allowing two hits and walking three in just two-thirds of an inning.

Cardinals Bullpen Closes It Out

  • Peter Strzelecki: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K (Win)
  • Riley O'Brien: 0.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB (Save)

The Cardinals bullpen combination of Strzelecki and O'Brien got the job done despite walking the tightrope. O'Brien's save was anything but comfortable — he put runners on before locking down the final out — but the Cardinals came away with both hands on a division win.

What's Next for the Cardinals

St. Louis will continue its road series against Cincinnati following Thursday's result. The Cardinals take a 10-9 win back into the dugout and will look to build on it against the Reds in the games ahead. With a divisional opponent in Cincinnati and the calendar deep into August 2026, every game in this series carries weight in the NL Central standings.