MLB Final Intelligence
St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds β Recap
May 23, 2026 Β· Great American Ball Park Β· View Preview
Game Recap
The Cincinnati Reds emerged victorious over the St. Louis Cardinals in an 11-inning thriller, securing a walk-off win after a seesaw battle at Great American Ball Park. The Reds clawed back from an early deficit with a five-run fifth inning, then held on through a late Cardinals rally to claim the victory.
St. Louis initially took the lead in the second inning when Masyn Winn's sacrifice fly brought home a run. Cincinnati responded emphatically in the fifth, with Elly De La Cruz launching a three-run home run, followed shortly by Lowe's two-run blast, giving the Reds a sudden 5-1 advantage. The Cardinals immediately chipped away at the lead in the sixth on Jordan Walker's three-run home run, but Dane Myers extended Cincinnati's lead once more with an RBI double in the bottom half of the inning.
The game-changing rally in the fifth inning, featuring five runs on two home runs, proved pivotal in swinging momentum to the Reds. However, the Cardinals refused to quit, mounting a determined comeback in the ninth. FermΓn led off the inning with a solo home run, and with two outs, Jordan Walker delivered his fourth RBI of the day with a single to left, knotting the score at six and forcing extra innings. Walker's impressive performance, which included three hits and a homer, kept St. Louis in the game.
Despite the Cardinals' resilient fight to push the game into extra frames, Cincinnati ultimately delivered the decisive blow in the 11th. Blake Dunn's fielder's choice with the bases loaded allowed Spencer Steer to score the winning run, capping off a dramatic contest. The Reds now stand at 61-65, while the Cardinals hold a 64-63 record.
Player of the Game
Turning Point
The game turned in the 5th inning, when the Cincinnati Reds scored 5 runs.
Pitching
| Pitcher | Team | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Petty |
|
5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5.91 |
| Kyle Leahy |
|
5.0 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4.44 |
| Pierce Johnson W |
|
2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.38 |
| Ryan Fernandez |
|
2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1.17 |
| Graham Ashcraft |
|
1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.46 |
| Brock Burke |
|
1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.38 |
| Riley O'Brien L |
|
1.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.96 |
| Tony Santillan |
|
1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5.85 |
| JoJo Romero |
|
1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2.92 |
| Gordon Graceffo |
|
0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.65 |
| Justin Bruihl |
|
0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.56 |
Batting
| Batter | Team | AB | H | HR | RBI | R | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Walker |
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Elly De La Cruz |
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Nathaniel Lowe |
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Blake Dunn |
|
6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jose Fermin |
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dane Myers |
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| P.J. Higgins |
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Spencer Steer |
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Will Benson |
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alec Burleson |
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bryan Torres |
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ivan Herrera |
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| JJ Wetherholt |
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nolan Gorman |
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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