Leahy Takes the Ball as Cardinals Look to Regain Series Edge

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Game Day Preview: Leahy Takes the Ball as Cardinals Look to Regain Series Edge
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The St. Louis Cardinals return to Great American Ball Park tonight for Game 3 of their five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds after splitting Monday’s day-night doubleheader.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. CT. Right-hander Kyle Leahy will start for St. Louis against Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott.

St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Kyle Leahy, 9-4, 3.38 ERA, 105 strikeouts
Cincinnati Reds: LHP Andrew Abbott, 6-7, 4.13 ERA, 102 strikeouts

The Cardinals enter at 64-62 after winning Monday’s opener 2-1 before dropping the nightcap 6-5 in 10 innings. Cincinnati is 60-65.

Monday was a long day of baseball that ultimately left both clubs where they started — one win apiece in the series.

Quinn Mathews gave the Cardinals four innings of one-run baseball in Game 1, striking out seven in his second Major League start. Alec Burleson drove in both St. Louis runs, and six Cardinals pitchers combined to hold Cincinnati to three hits. Riley O’Brien struck out the side in the ninth for his 31st save.

The nightcap was more difficult to put away.

St. Louis led 4-1 before Cincinnati tied the game with three runs in the sixth. Bryan Torres put the Cardinals back in front with a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Dane Myers homered with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings.

The Cardinals failed to score their automatic runner in the top of the 10th before Elly De La Cruz ended it with the first walk-off hit of his Major League career, driving home Tyler Stephenson for the 6-5 Cincinnati victory.

It was a game St. Louis had several opportunities to finish and did not.

Tonight the Cardinals turn to one of their most reliable starters.

Leahy has quietly become an important part of the rotation, entering with nine victories and a 3.38 ERA. What began as another attempt to find innings from a pitcher capable of filling multiple roles has developed into something much more substantial.

Leahy has earned his place in the rotation.

He attacks the strike zone, changes speeds and generally forces opponents to earn their way on base. At Great American Ball Park, that becomes especially important. Walks in front of Cincinnati’s power hitters can turn into crooked numbers quickly.

De La Cruz remains the hitter around whom the Cardinals must build their plan. Even while working through a recent slump, his combination of power and speed makes every trip to the plate dangerous. Sal Stewart, Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suárez give Cincinnati additional threats behind him.

Leahy does not need to dominate that lineup. He needs to keep it under control, limit free passes and give the Cardinals another six competitive innings.

The bullpen could use it.

Monday’s doubleheader required the Cardinals to cover a significant number of innings with their relievers. That makes length from Leahy more valuable than usual with two more games remaining in the series after tonight.

St. Louis will face a familiar opponent in Abbott.

The left-hander is 6-7 with a 4.13 ERA and has already faced the Cardinals several times in his career. He does not overwhelm hitters with velocity, but he changes speeds effectively and can create problems when opponents become impatient.

The Cardinals should have a lineup heavy with right-handed bats against him.

Joshua Báez, Iván Herrera, Jordan Walker, José Fermín, Masyn Winn and Blaze Jordan all give St. Louis options against the Cincinnati left-hander.

Báez remains one of the most closely watched hitters in the lineup after his historic three-home-run Major League debut Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Reds gave him another lesson in how quickly Major League pitchers adjust Monday, and that process will continue throughout the remainder of the season.

The Cardinals do not need Báez to reproduce his debut. They need quality at-bats around him.

Burleson continues to produce in the middle of the order and drove in both runs in Monday’s opener. Walker remains one of the club’s primary power threats, while Herrera gives St. Louis another hitter capable of controlling the strike zone and extending innings.

This lineup is at its best when those hitters are contributing together rather than waiting for one home run to provide the offense.

That will be especially important against Abbott.

The Cardinals are still in the National League Wild Card race, but there is little room for giving games away. They have played better baseball over the past two weeks, won a series at Wrigley Field and climbed back above .500, but Monday night was another reminder of how quickly a winnable game can disappear.

Five-game series are unusual. They also create an opportunity to make up ground quickly.

The Cardinals do not need to concern themselves with winning four of five or calculating what Thursday’s standings might look like.

They need to win tonight.

Leahy has given them a good chance to do that most of the season.

Give him some runs, protect the baseball and finish the game when the opportunity is there.

After splitting 20 innings of baseball Monday, the series essentially begins again tonight.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Kyle Leahy, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB