The Cincinnati Reds dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, August 17, at Great American Ball Park, falling in nine innings in a division game that came down to a single run. Dane Myers provided the lone bright spot offensively with a solo home run, but a five-hit, two-earned-run outing from starter Kent Emanuel proved too costly to overcome against a Cardinals pitching staff that kept Cincinnati's lineup largely in check all night. The loss hands St. Louis the win in what was a low-margin, high-stakes NL Central clash.

Kent Emanuel Takes the Loss After Giving Up Two Early Runs

Emanuel went five innings and gave up both Cardinals runs on five hits and three walks, striking out four. He didn't get through the game clean, and Luis Gastelum — who worked a scoreless sixth for St. Louis — was awarded the win. That's the kind of pitching line that can hang a starter with a loss when your offense manages just a single run.

To be fair, Emanuel's bullpen held the Cardinals scoreless the rest of the way. Luis Mey was sharp, throwing two innings with three strikeouts and no earned runs. Pierce Johnson added a clean inning of work, and Sam Moll retired the side in the ninth with a strikeout and no hits allowed. The Reds' 'pen did its job — the damage was done before they got the ball.

Dane Myers Provides Cincinnati's Only Run With Solo Home Run

Myers was the lone Red who made real noise at the plate, going 2-for-4 with his home run accounting for Cincinnati's only run. In a game this tight, you need more bats to show up around him. The Reds managed just enough contact to stay in it, but not enough to take the lead.

On the other side, Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker went 2-for-4, and Alec Burleson did the real damage with a 2-for-4 line that included both St. Louis RBIs. Burleson's production was the difference in a one-run game, plain and simple.

St. Louis Bullpen Stifles Reds Through Final Five Innings

Cardinals starter Quinn Mathews got through four innings with seven strikeouts, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks. After Mathews exited, St. Louis turned to a parade of arms — Gastelum, Gordon Graceffo, George Soriano, Ryne Stanek, and Riley O'Brien — each delivering a scoreless inning. O'Brien closed it out in the ninth with three strikeouts to earn the save, finishing off a Cincinnati lineup that couldn't mount a late push.

That five-pitcher bullpen relay after Mathews was efficient and ruthless. The Reds simply had no answer for it down the stretch.

Turning Point: Burleson's Two-RBI Night Seals the Margin

In a 2-1 game, there's usually one sequence that settles the outcome. Alec Burleson's two RBIs off Kent Emanuel gave St. Louis the only cushion they needed. The Cardinals never relinquished that lead, and once Cincinnati's relievers began throwing zeros, it became a question of whether the offense could tie it — they couldn't.

What's Next for the Reds

  • The Reds and Cardinals remain at Great American Ball Park for the continuation of this division series.
  • Cincinnati will need starting pitching to go deeper into games if the bullpen is going to stay fresh for a multi-game set.
  • Myers showed he can produce at the plate — the Reds will need the lineup around him to follow suit.

This was a winnable game that slipped away. One run is a margin that invites second-guessing, but the bottom line is that St. Louis got the key hits when it mattered and Cincinnati did not. In a division series, those games add up fast.