The St. Louis Cardinals head to Great American Ball Park on Thursday, August 20 for a 12:40 PM ET first pitch against the Cincinnati Reds. Michael McGreevy gets the ball for St. Louis against Reds right-hander Brady Singer in what shapes up as a compelling division matchup between two NL Central clubs with plenty at stake in the final weeks of the regular season. Cardinals fans can catch the game on Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 or listen on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.

Cardinals at Reds Pitching Matchup: McGreevy vs. Singer

Michael McGreevy draws the start for St. Louis, and this is exactly the kind of road assignment that will tell you something real about where he stands right now. McGreevy is a young arm with legitimate stuff, and Great American Ball Park — one of the more hitter-friendly environments in the National League — is not the easiest proving ground. How he handles the top of Cincinnati's order early will set the tone for everything that follows.

Brady Singer takes the hill for the Reds. Singer is a quality mid-rotation starter who can work his fastball-slider combination to generate weak contact and keep opposing lineups off-balance. He is not someone St. Louis can afford to sleep on. The Cardinals will need to be patient and make him work deep into counts if they want to get into a Cincinnati bullpen that figures to be taxed late in the season.

Keys to Watch for the Cardinals

• Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson in the middle of the order: Walker bats cleanup and Burleson is slotted third. Those two have to produce against Singer. If the Cardinals are going to put crooked numbers on the board, it flows through that part of the lineup.
• JJ Wetherholt at the top: The rookie shortstop is hitting leadoff for St. Louis. How he handles Singer's stuff early in the game will either ignite the Cardinals or stall them out of the gate. First-inning production from Wetherholt matters enormously.
• Iván Herrera as the designated hitter: Hitting second and serving as the DH, Herrera is being used in a spot where the Cardinals clearly want his bat in the lineup every day. Keeping that at-bat count productive is important.
• McGreevy limiting Elly De La Cruz: De La Cruz hits leadoff for Cincinnati and is the Reds' most dangerous threat. McGreevy has to establish himself against De La Cruz early — let him get on base and cause chaos on the basepaths and this game can unravel quickly for St. Louis.
• Blaze Jordan at third base: Batting eighth, Jordan is worth watching as a young power bat who can change the game with one swing even from the bottom of the order.

Cincinnati's Lineup Presents Real Challenges

The Reds are running out a balanced order. De La Cruz leads off at DH, Sal Stewart bats second at second base, and JJ Bleday hits third in left field before Tyler Stephenson anchors the cleanup spot behind the dish. That is a legitimate top four that McGreevy cannot let run wild. Matt McLain at shortstop and Michael Toglia at first base round out a middle section of the Reds' lineup that is capable of stringing hits together in a hurry at this ballpark.

Prediction

This one could go either way, but the edge here goes to Cincinnati at home. Great American Ball Park is a tough road venue, Singer is a credible opponent, and McGreevy will have to be sharp to keep the Reds off the board. That said, the Cardinals have enough firepower with Walker, Burleson, and Herrera in the middle of the order to make this competitive deep into the game. Call it a close contest that comes down to the bullpens — Cardinals 4, Reds 5.