Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 8/17/26, 10:12 AM  by Carlos Zabala in MLB Picks

After winning the first game of the series 1-0 in Cincinnati against the Marlins, the Reds lost the next two, displaying ineffective hitting in the final game, where they only managed three hits. McLain went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. This further diminishes the playoff hopes of Francona's team, who will remain at Great American Ball Park for another series against the Cardinals starting Monday.

The first game of the doubleheader between the divisional rivals began after 1 p.m. While the Reds watch their playoff chances slowly evaporate, the Cardinals continue to move closer to the promised land.

The Cardinals have won every series in August; they certainly had a good time at Wrigley Field this past weekend. They took Saturday's game 8-4 with a historic night from Báez; the Dominican became the first player in MLB history to debut with three home runs. Furthermore, everyone played all three positions on a memorable day. On Sunday, the Cardinals continued their dominance against their divisional rivals, scoring 11 runs in the victory. Burlenson's home run on Sunday was a career high with 21, and Walker hit his 24th of the year, slowly emerging from his post-All-Star slump.