A Hot Start for the Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals jumped out of the gates with energy in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar kicked things off with a nimble infield single. Ivan Herrera followed this with a clean single, sending Nootbaar to third. Although Willson Contreras was struck out swinging, Nolan Gorman stepped up with a crucial sacrifice fly allowing Nootbaar to score, putting us on the board first. Thomas Saggese kept the momentum going, slamming a single to bring Herrera home and giving us a 2-0 lead. What a way to start!
A Rocky Mid-Game for Our Cardinals
The Reds rebounded quickly, catching up and tying the score by the end of the third inning. Ke'Bryan Hayes put their first run on the board in the bottom of the second, and TJ Friedl delivered a critical hit, driving in two runs. In the fifth inning, Austin Hays' homer pushed the Reds ahead, bringing in Elly De La Cruz. Our pitching struggled to keep the Reds' batters in check and their lead expanded to 5-3. The tension on the field was palpable, but our Cardinals continued to fight.
Crooks' Spark Not Enough to Rally Back
Jimmy Crooks ignited some hope for us in the seventh inning with an impressive solo homerun—an electrifying moment bringing the score to 5-4. However, despite his valiant efforts, the Reds quickly regained their two-run buffer. The eighth inning saw Matt McLain deliver a definitive blow with his homer, extending the Reds' lead to 7-4. In the ninth inning, César Prieto tried to kick-start a comeback with a single, but the Reds' defense prevailed with Walker, Crooks, and Church all going down with strikeouts. Alas, despite a courageous fight, the Cardinals were unable to reclaim the lead. Final score: Reds 7, Cardinals 4.
Our Cardinals fought fiercely, and although the results weren't in our favor today, it's all about keeping our heads high and bouncing back stronger in the next game. Go Cards!
Scoreboard for Cardinals @ Reds (August 31st, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |