The Cincinnati Reds return to Great American Ball Park on Monday, August 17, 2026, for a 6:40 PM ET showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rhett Lowder gets the ball for the home side in what shapes up as a meaningful regular-season divisional clash between two NL Central rivals. St. Louis has not yet confirmed a probable starter for the evening. Catch the action on Reds.TV or WLW 700 AM locally, with Cardinals fans tuning into Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 or KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.
Rhett Lowder Starts for Cincinnati Against St. Louis
Lowder gets the nod Monday, and the young right-hander carries the responsibility of setting the tone in what is always a charged atmosphere when the Cardinals come to town. The Ohio River rivalry never needs extra seasoning, and a mid-August matchup carries real weight in the NL Central standings. Lowder will need to keep St. Louis's lineup off-balance early and give the Reds bullpen a manageable workload late.
The Cardinals have not announced their starter as of this writing. That uncertainty cuts both ways — Cincinnati can't game-plan against a specific arm, but the Reds' lineup will have the home-field familiarity of Great American Ball Park in their corner regardless of who St. Louis runs out to the mound.
Keys to Watch Monday Night
Lowder's Command and Pitch Mix
Lowder's effectiveness hinges on his ability to locate his pitches and keep Cardinals hitters from sitting on anything predictable. Against a disciplined St. Louis lineup, any tendency to work around the zone too often can lead to deep counts, walks, and big innings. The Reds need him sharp from the first pitch.
Reds Lineup vs. an Unknown Cardinals Starter
With St. Louis's starter still to be determined, Cincinnati's hitters will need to be ready to adjust quickly in the early innings. The ability to work counts, recognize pitch types, and put pressure on an unfamiliar arm is a skill that separates good offensive nights from frustrating ones at the plate.
Bullpen Management
Whether Lowder goes deep into this game or hands it off after five or six innings, the Reds' bullpen situation will be a factor Monday. Getting late-inning outs against a Cardinals lineup that can make you pay for mistakes requires careful management and matchup awareness from the dugout.
- Watch Rhett Lowder's first-inning approach — it will set the tone for his entire outing
- Monitor how quickly Reds hitters make adjustments against the as-yet-unnamed Cardinals starter
- Late-inning leverage situations could be decisive in a tight divisional game
Prediction: Reds Win a Close One at Home
Home-field advantage matters in NL Central divisional play, and Great American Ball Park has a way of energizing this Reds group. If Lowder delivers a solid outing — even five or six quality innings — and the offense does its job against an unknown Cardinals arm, Cincinnati is positioned to take this one. Reds win, 4–2.
