Austin Hays, Matt McLain Power Cincinnati Reds Past St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 to Snap Skid on August 31, 2025

Sunday, August 31st, 2025

Cincinnati Reds Defeat St. Louis Cardinals 7-4, Snap Five-Game Skid

The Cincinnati Reds powered past the St. Louis Cardinals with a 7-4 victory on Sunday, ending a five-game losing streak and preventing a series sweep at Great American Ball Park.

Clutch Performances Lead Cincinnati

Austin Hays delivered the pivotal moment of the game with a tiebreaking two-run home run in the fifth inning, giving the Reds a 5-3 lead. Matt McLain also showcased his power, homering for the second consecutive game with a solo shot in the eighth to extend Cincinnati's advantage.

Elly De La Cruz kept the momentum going early in the fifth by smacking his 28th double of the season, immediately preceding Hays' decisive blast against Andre Pallante. Hays contributed in the seventh as well, doubling and crossing home plate on Ke'Bryan Hayes’ two-out RBI single to stretch the lead to 6-4.

Strong Start and Late Dominance on the Mound

Brady Singer played a crucial role on the mound for Cincinnati, allowing just three runs and five hits over six innings, striking out eight without issuing a walk to earn his 12th win of the year. The bullpen delivered in the late stages: Tony Santillan struck out the side in the eighth, and Emilio Pagán matched the feat in the ninth, collecting his 26th save of the season.

Cardinals Jump Ahead but Fall Short

St. Louis seized an early 2-0 advantage in the first inning, courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Nolan Gorman and a two-out RBI single by Thomas Saggese. The Reds responded swiftly in the second, tying and surpassing the Cardinals with an RBI single by Hayes and a clutch two-run single from TJ Friedl for a 3-2 edge.

Cardinals rookie catcher Jimmy Crooks provided a memorable moment for St. Louis, launching his first big league hit—a solo homer off Sam Moll in the seventh—to narrow the gap to 5-4. However, Cincinnati answered back to maintain control down the stretch.

Starting Pitchers’ Stat Lines

Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals and was charged with five runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks across five innings. The loss adds to a difficult stretch for St. Louis, with the team dropping 12 of Pallante's last 13 starts.

Key Moment

Austin Hays battled back from an 0-2 count to work the count full before blasting his go-ahead home run to left field in the fifth inning, breaking the tie and swinging momentum firmly to Cincinnati.

Key Stat

The Cardinals have lost 12 of the last 13 games started by Andre Pallante.

What's Next for Both Teams

The Reds will start Hunter Greene (5-4, 2.81 ERA) on Monday for the opening matchup of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who will counter with Chris Bassitt (11-7, 4.14 ERA).

For St. Louis, Sonny Gray (12-7, 4.19 ERA) gets the call to open a three-game set versus the Oakland Athletics, facing A's rookie right-hander Luis Morales (2-0, 1.19 ERA).

In summary

The Cincinnati Reds earned a vital 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to timely home runs from Austin Hays and Matt McLain, a strong start by Brady Singer, and excellent relief pitching. St. Louis jumped out to an early lead but Cincinnati rallied and held on, snapping their losing streak and avoiding a sweep in front of the home crowd. With this victory, the Reds look ahead to their next series on a high note, while the Cardinals aim to regroup for their upcoming matchups.

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