The Cincinnati Reds head into the next matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals looking for a much better all-around performance. After missing a chance to wrap up the series on Saturday, Cincinnati now turns to left-hander Andrew Abbott while St. Louis is set to counter with Kyle Leahy.
Saturday's result was a one-sided 7-0 defeat for the Reds. Hunter Greene was unable to slow the Cardinals lineup, and Cincinnati's hitters never found an answer against right-hander Andre Pallante. The shutout loss left the Reds needing one more push if they want to come away with the series.
That puts extra attention on the Andrew Abbott vs. Kyle Leahy pitching matchup. Abbott gives Cincinnati a fresh chance to reset after a frustrating game, while Leahy will try to help St. Louis build on the momentum created by the Cardinals' strong showing the day before.
For the Reds, the path is straightforward: sharper pitching and a more productive offense than they showed in the 7-0 loss. For the Cardinals, the goal is to carry over the formula that worked on Saturday and keep Cincinnati from turning the series back in its favor.
