The Cincinnati Reds return to Great American Ball Park on Wednesday, August 19 for a 6:40 PM ET showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-hander Chase Burns gets the ball for Cincinnati against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore in what shapes up as a key NL Central matchup. This is a game that matters in the standings, and with the Reds playing at home, the crowd on the banks of the Ohio River will have every reason to be loud from first pitch.

Starting Pitchers: Chase Burns vs. Matthew Liberatore

Burns is the headliner here. The young Reds right-hander has been one of the more closely watched arms on this staff, and a home start against a divisional opponent is exactly the kind of assignment he needs to seize. Specific ERA and win-loss data for Burns this season are not available at publication time, so we'll let his performance on the mound Wednesday do the talking.

Liberatore, a left-hander for St. Louis, brings his own set of challenges for a Reds lineup that will need to make adjustments against a southpaw. Again, current season stats for Liberatore were not available ahead of this game, but the matchup between two young starters makes the pitching duel worth watching closely from the first inning on.

Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup

• 1. Elly De La Cruz, SS
• 2. Sal Stewart, 1B
• 3. Dane Myers, CF
• 4. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
• 5. Tyler Stephenson, DH
• 6. Michael Toglia, RF
• 7. JJ Bleday, LF
• 8. Jose Trevino, C
• 9. Matt McLain, 2B

Keys to Watch at Great American Ball Park

Elly De La Cruz Setting the Tone at the Top

De La Cruz leads off and is the engine of this Reds offense. When he gets on base and uses his speed, Cincinnati's lineup becomes a different animal. His ability to disrupt a pitcher's rhythm and create havoc on the bases against a left-handed starter will be one of the first things to watch Wednesday night.

Eugenio Suárez in the Cleanup Spot

Suárez slots in at cleanup and brings legitimate power threat to the middle of the order. With Stewart and Myers setting the table in the two and three holes, Suárez will have opportunities to do real damage. How Liberatore handles the heart of this order early in the game could dictate the entire evening.

Chase Burns Commanding the Zone

For the Reds to win this one, Burns needs to give Cincinnati length and keep the Cardinals lineup off-balance. A quality start — six-plus innings, minimal walks — would take pressure off a bullpen that has to manage a full second half of the regular season. His command and ability to get ahead in counts will be the defining factor.

Matt McLain at the Bottom of the Order

McLain batting ninth gives the Reds an interesting dynamic at the bottom of the lineup. A productive McLain can turn over the order to De La Cruz in high-leverage spots, essentially giving Cincinnati two functional table-setters.

Prediction

This is a divisional game at home, which always carries extra weight in August. The Reds have the pitching matchup they want with Burns on the hill, and the lineup — led by De La Cruz — is built to generate pressure on the bases. Expect a competitive game decided in the late innings. Reds win 4-2, with Burns delivering six solid innings and the home crowd leaving Great American Ball Park satisfied.

Catch the game on Reds.TV or WLW 700 AM locally. Cardinals fans can tune into Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 or KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.