Saturday’s Game Report: Cardinals split doubleheader against Reds
By Rob Rains
It was a day to remember for Bryan Torres. He just wishes it would have ended with two Cardinals’ victories instead of one.
Torres made his major-league debut on Saturday in Cincinnati after an 11-year journey through the minor leagues and had two hits, including a two-run homer, and also reached on a walk in an 8-1 win in the first half of the day-night doubleheader.
He added a single and another walk in the night game before the Cardinals lost 7-6 in 11 innings.
It also was a big day for Jordan Walker, who homered in each game, hitting a two-run shot in the day game and a three-run homer in the night game, finishing the day with a combined seven RBIs.
The Cardinals trailed 6-4 going to the ninth inning in the night game but sent the game to extra innings on a pinch-hit home run by Jose Fermin and Walker’s RBI single.
The Reds pushed the winning run across the plate in the 11th scoring without a hit. A fielder’s choice grounder was slow enough to allow Spencer Steer to beat Masyn Winn’s throw to the plate.
It was only the second extra-inning loss for the Cardinals in nine games this season.
Here is how Saturday’s doubleheader broke down:
At the plate: Walker became the first Cardinal to homer in each game of a doubleheader since Paul Goldschmidt did it in 2022 against the Pirates. The two homers were his 14th and 15th of the season, the second most in the NL. The homer in the first game snapped a personal 0-of-31 streak against the Reds and was his first homer in Cincinnati … Victor Scott II had three hits and scored a run in the first game … In the night game, the Cardinals fell behind 5-1 before Walker’s homer in the sixth closed the gap to 5-4 … They had a runner thrown out at the plate in the 10th then stranded the go-ahead runner on third in the 11th.
On the mound: Kyle Leahy started the night game and shut out the Reds through the first four innings but then gave up two homers in a five-run fifth. Leahy set a career high with eight strikeouts … Justin Bruihl allowed the sixth Reds run on a pair of doubles in the sixth … After Riley O’Brien got two strikeouts and stranded the winning run on third in the 10th, he came back to pitch the 11th and gave up a sacrifice bunt and a walk before the game-winning grounder … In the day game, Andre Pallante allowed only two hits over six innings, one a home run. He walked one, struck out four and retired the last 13 hitters he faced. The only two baserunners for the Reds after the second inning came on walks.
Worth noting: Including the 5-foot-7 Torres, the Cardinals had six players in their starting lineup for game one who are 5-foot-11 inches tall or shorter: JJ Wetherholt, Winn and Cesar Prieto are all 5-foot-9; Scott is 5-foot-10, and Ivan Herrera is 5-foot-11 … Ryan Fernandez was brought up from Memphis to serve as the 27th man for the second game and worked two perfect innings, striking out the side in the seventh … Lars Nootbaar homered for Memphis on Saturday night, his second home run during his rehab assignment and first at the Triple A level.
Up next: Matthew Liberatore will get the start on Sunday in the final game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. St. Louis time.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains
