Quinn Mathews, making just his 2nd career start, got the ball for St. Louis at 1:40 PM ET. Across the way, Cincinnati countered with Kent Emanuel — a 34-year-old lefty who was pitching in independent ball a few weeks ago before the Reds signed him and handed him his first career MLB start, in relief or otherwise.
Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Cardinals(63-61)
WWLWW
2
Reds(59-64)
LLWWL
1
Best BetCardinals -111
Postgame
The case leaned on St. Louis' hot stretch and Cincinnati's scramble at the back of the rotation, and it played out almost exactly that way — Burleson's 1st-inning double was the difference, and the exhausted Reds pitching staff around Emanuel never let Cincinnati's offense answer. Emanuel didn't embarrass himself, but the taxed staff behind him is exactly what let Mathews and St. Louis' bullpen hold the line.
Pregame
St. Louis is playing with real urgency in a tight Wild Card scrap, while Cincinnati is turning to a 34-year-old who signed off an independent-league deal two weeks ago for his first genuine MLB start. That's a meaningful talent gap on the mound in a game that matters more to the road team right now.
That call-up wasn't a want-to, it was a have-to. Cincinnati's bullpen had already burned through Nick Lodolo, Julian Garcia, Tejay Antone, Ron Marinaccio and Connor Phillips cramming 5 games into 4 days, and the doubleheader meant somebody new had to eat innings. St. Louis arrived on a heater with an eye on the NL wild card. The market treated the two sides as close to even, but a pitching staff running on fumes usually shows up somewhere.
Quinn Mathews
(0-2)·6.43 ERA
Aug 1 @ Blue Jays
L
5.0IP
2ER
3K
3BB
97P
Kent Emanuel
(0-1)·3.60 ERA
It showed up in the 1st. Alec Burleson ripped a two-run double down the right-field line off Emanuel, scoring Joshua Báez and Iván Herrera, and that turned out to be all the offense St. Louis would need. Mathews worked around a Dane Myers homer in the 4th — his only blemish across 4 innings — before four Cardinals relievers took over and allowed just a single hit the rest of the way.
Neither offense did much after that. Emanuel, for a guy who hadn't pitched in the majors since 2024, didn't blink — he kept it a 1-run game deep enough that St. Louis never got the chance to pull away, even with Cincinnati's pen running on empty behind him.
St. Louis Cardinals
(63-61)
Aug 16W@ Cubs11-4
Aug 15W@ Cubs8-4
Aug 14L@ Cubs0-3
Aug 12Wvs Phillies7-1
Aug 11Wvs Phillies2-0
Cincinnati Reds
(59-64)
Aug 16Lvs Marlins1-7
Aug 15Lvs Marlins4-8
Aug 14Wvs Marlins1-0
Aug 13W@ White Sox9-8
Aug 12L@ White Sox0-5
The Reds didn't get here by accident. Hunter Greene is out 12-to-18 months after a second Tommy John surgery, Spencer Steer is still working back from a wrist injury, and Brandon Williamson and Blake Dunn remain a ways off — which is how a franchise with that much rotation depth on paper ends up trusting a first-time starter signed off the independent circuit.
St. Louis Cardinals
(2)
60-Day-ILRamon Urias (3B) — Urias (elbows) has been sent to Triple-A Memphis to resume a rehab assignment, John Denton of Roundtable.io reports.08/04
60-Day-ILMax Rajcic (RP) — Rajcic revealed on his Instagram account Thursday that he recently underwent a right elbow UCL reconstruction.07/23
Cincinnati Reds
(6)
10-Day-ILSpencer Steer (1B) — Steer (wrist) is scheduled to have a splint removed from his right wrist Monday, MLB.com reports.08/10
15-Day-ILTony Santillan (RP) — Santillan (oblique) could be activated to the major-league roster later this week, Mike Petraglia of MLB.com reports.08/17
60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson (SP) — Williamson (shoulder) struck out two and allowed one earned run on five hits and no walks across 3.2 innings in a rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Louisville.08/17
60-Day-ILHunter Greene (SP) — Greene (elbow) will be out for 12-to-18 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.08/13
60-Day-ILBlake Dunn (CF) — The Reds transferred Dunn (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.08/06
60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft (RP) — Ashcraft (elbow) is on a throwing program, which will have him throw from 105 feet beginning July 20 at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/18
St. Louis has the easier problem to have. The Cardinals are chasing a wild-card spot with a bullpen that's carrying its own weight, and Monday's nightcap gave Cincinnati even less time to regroup before doing this all over again.
