Reds vs Cardinals Preview: Week 63 Showdown on Saturday

Cincinnati's young hitters pack real punch. Look at their last game against St. Louis—they scored runs in bunches. De La Cruz ripped a three-run homer into left center. Lowe crushed a massive 435-foot blast to center field. That's the kind of power you want heading into a matchup. But here's the thing: the Reds lost their star shortstop to injury. Elly De La Cruz's hamstring strain could sideline him for weeks. Without him in the lineup, Cincinnati's offense loses a spark plug. Singer takes the mound for Cincinnati, but his numbers (6.75 ERA) raise red flags. St. Louis just won their last game. They smell blood in the water.

The Cardinals sit at 32-28 and they're hungry. They just grabbed a win. Now they need to string victories together. Kyle Leahy takes the ball for St. Louis. Not much data on him yet—he's still unproven in big moments. St. Louis just swept Cincinnati hard, winning 8-1 in their second matchup. Walker launched a homer to right center. Torres smashed one over the fence in the ninth. The Cardinals' young arms are still developing, but games like this matter. These are the moments rookies learn from. Cincinnati's rotation has real holes with Hunter Greene out until July. That's St. Louis's opening.

Here's where things get tricky. Brady Singer has a 6.75 ERA this season. That's rough. He's given up too many runs. Busch Stadium is a pitcher's park, but Singer needs to find his control fast. He's walking too many batters—his WHIP sits at 1.75. Every pitch matters here. Kyle Leahy for St. Louis is an unknown quantity. Young arms make young mistakes. But Cincinnati's rotation is gutted. Hunter Greene's elbow surgery sidelined him until July. That's huge. The Reds need Singer to eat innings and keep it close. One bad inning costs them. One solid outing keeps them in the fight.