Full Breakdown
Cardinals Rally Past Reds in Wild-Card Chase Thriller
8/21/2026, 4:27:52 AM
Game Overview
In the top of the ninth, the St. Louis Cardinals turned a 5-4 deficit into a 10-9 win after a routine fly ball to left-center bounced off Reds center fielder Dane Myers’ glove. The misplay allowed the tying and go-ahead runs, sparking a six-run rally that decided the game and gave St. Louis the rubber match of the five-game series.
Background & Context
Both clubs entered the contest with near-identical wild-card records— the Reds at 61-67 and the Cardinals at 66-63. The series finale offered St. Louis a chance to extend its five-game winning streak in August and stay within striking distance of a postseason berth.
Key Plays & Data
- Ninth-Inning Error: Myers’ dropped fly ball produced the tying run and the go-ahead run, shifting the lead to 6-5.
- Cardinals’ Surge: After the error, the Cardinals added four more runs, including an intentional walk to Alec Burleson and a two-run single by Jordan Walker, who finished with his 26th homer and 94 RBIs, tying the MLB lead.
- Reds’ Response: Cincinnati’s four runs featured Matt McLain’s grand slam in the sixth and a two-run single by Eugenio Suárez, marking the 1,000th RBI of his career.
- Bullpen Strain: Reds reliever Brock Burke was charged with six unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning, while Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien secured the final out after a walk-loaded inning.
Official Statements & Responses
Francona acknowledged the bullpen’s fatigue, calling the inning “hard” and noting Burke “probably had a little letdown.”
Ryne Stanek added that “you have stretches where you’ll be on the mound 10 out of 12 days, and a lot of times, nobody sees the workload that goes into it.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was shaded over (toward left field) a good bit — we’d talked before the play that everything in the gap the way we were shaded was supposed to be mine,” — Dane Myers, Reds center fielder
- “It was a good swing. Walker made a good play,” — Matt McLain, Reds infielder
- “I was very happy with that catch,” — Riley O’Brien, Cardinals closer
- “You feel really comfortable when the ball’s hit that way,” — Oliver Marmol, Cardinals manager
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources consistently describe the ninth-inning error, the subsequent six-run rally, and the final score. No substantive discrepancies were identified regarding the sequence of events or statistical details.
