Elly De La Cruz launched a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Spencer Steer scored the winning run on a headfirst slide in the 11th as the Cincinnati Reds outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday, splitting a day-night doubleheader at Great American Ball Park.
The win snapped a frustrating stretch for Cincinnati, who watched a 5-1 lead evaporate when Jordan Walker ripped a two-out RBI single in the ninth to knot the game at 6-all. The Cardinals had clawed back from a four-run deficit with Walker’s three-run shot in the sixth and two more runs in the final frame.
How Elly De La Cruz Powered Cincinnati’s Early Lead
Elly De La Cruz gave the Reds a commanding advantage with his fifth-inning three-run blast, turning a 1-1 game into a 4-1 cushion. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a two-run shot in the same frame, opening a 5-1 lead that looked comfortable — until it wasn’t.
De La Cruz’s homer continued a breakout stretch for the 24-year-old shortstop, who has been one of the few bright spots in a Reds lineup that entered Saturday’s doubleheader searching for consistent production. His ability to change a game with one swing remains his most electrifying tool, and the fifth-inning at-bat against St. Louis starter showcased exactly why Cincinnati built its roster around him.
According to FOX Sports, De La Cruz’s homer was the decisive blow in an otherwise chaotic game that saw both bullpens struggle to hold leads.
St. Louis Rallies Behind Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker nearly single-handedly erased Cincinnati’s advantage. The Cardinals’ outfielder crushed a three-run homer in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-3, then delivered the game-tying two-out RBI single in the ninth — a knock that sent the contest into extra innings and silenced the home crowd.
Walker’s performance was a reminder of the raw power that made him one of baseball’s top prospects. His sixth-inning blast came on a fastball middle-in, and he turned on it with an exit velocity that left no doubt off the bat. The ninth-inning single was pure clutch — a two-strike approach that shortened up and found a hole.
Despite Walker’s heroics, St. Louis couldn’t finish the job. The Cardinals stranded the automatic runner in the top of the 11th, setting the stage for Steer’s dramatic slide into home on Blake Dunn’s one-hopper to shortstop.
Key Developments
- Spencer Steer served as the automatic runner in the 11th inning and scored the winning run on Blake Dunn’s ground ball, sliding headfirst to beat the throw home.
- P.J. Higgins executed a sacrifice bunt to advance Steer from second to third in the 11th, putting the winning run in scoring position with one out.
- Nathaniel Lowe’s two-run homer in the fifth inning gave the Reds a 5-1 lead before St. Louis began its comeback.
- The Cardinals scored two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 6-all, capping a comeback from a four-run deficit.
- The win allowed Cincinnati to split the day-night doubleheader after dropping the first game of the twin bill.
What This Means for Cincinnati’s Season
The victory keeps the Reds in the thick of the National League Central race, where every game against division rivals like St. Louis carries amplified weight. Cincinnati’s ability to survive a late collapse — and win in extras — speaks to a resilience that could matter down the stretch in a tight divisional race.
Elly De La Cruz’s continued production at the top of the lineup remains the engine for this offense. When he drives in three runs in a single at-bat, the margin for error expands considerably. The Reds will need that kind of impact from their star shortstop as they navigate a schedule packed with divisional matchups through June.
For St. Louis, the loss stings — blowing a late lead after a furious comeback is the kind of result that havers in a clubhouse. But Walker’s performance offered a glimpse of what the Cardinals’ young core can do when it clicks. If that power translates to consistency, this team has the talent to compete in a wide-open division.
Player Backgrounds and Season Context
Elly De La Cruz, signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2018, made his MLB debut in 2022 and quickly became known for his blend of speed, power, and defensive versatility at shortstop. Entering the May 24 doubleheader, he owned a .274 batting average, .340 on-base percentage, and .515 slugging percentage, with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs — numbers that placed him among the top 10 shortstops in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for the season. His 2024 campaign has been highlighted by a 15-game hitting streak in early May and a league-leading 8 stolen bases in the month of April, underscoring his dual threat on the bases and at the plate.
Jordan Walker, the Cardinals’ 2020 first-round pick (21st overall), broke onto the scene in 2023 with a .292 average, 15 home runs, and 55 RBIs in limited action. By mid‑May 2024, he was slashing .285/.350/.480 with 8 home runs and 30 RBIs, showing improved plate discipline after adjusting to major‑league breaking balls. His sixth‑inning homer against the Reds came on a 92‑mph fastball, generating an exit velocity of 108.4 mph and a launch angle of 28 degrees — metrics that placed the batted ball in the top 5% of all homers hit that week.
Spencer Steer, acquired from the San Diego Padres at the 2023 trade deadline, has settled into a utility role for Cincinnati, providing left‑handed power off the bench. In 2024, Steer has posted a .260/.330/.440 line with 5 home runs and 22 RBIs, often used as a pinch‑hit or defensive replacement. His headfirst slide in the 11th inning was his second career walk‑off run scored, the first coming on a sacrifice fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 12.
Team History and Rivalry Dynamics
The Reds–Cardinals rivalry is one of the oldest in the National League, dating back to the 19th century when both clubs were founding members of the league. Over the last decade, the Cardinals have held a slight edge in head‑to‑head matchups, winning 58% of games since 2015. However, Cincinnati has flipped the script in 2024, taking three of the first five meetings, including a 10‑4 victory on May 10 that featured a four‑run sixth inning driven by De La Cruz and Lowe.
From a historical perspective, extra‑inning victories are rare but not unprecedented for the Reds against St. Louis. The last time Cincinnati won a game that went beyond ten innings against the Cardinals was on July 3, 2019, when Joey Votto walked off with a solo homer in the 12th. That game, like Saturday’s, featured a bullpen meltdown after a strong starter outing — highlighting a recurring theme: both teams have leaned heavily on their front‑line starters to keep games close, only to see relief pitching falter in high‑leverage spots.
League Context and Playoff Implications
As of May 24, the NL Central standings show the Milwaukee Brewers leading with a 28‑22 record, followed closely by the Chicago Cubs (27‑23) and the Cincinnati Reds (26‑24). The St. Louis Cardinals sit at 24‑26, three games out of a wild‑card spot. Every victory against a direct division rival carries amplified weight because head‑to‑head records are used as tiebreakers for playoff positioning. The Reds’ split of the doubleheader keeps them within striking distance of the Cubs and just half a game behind the Brewers, while the Cardinals drop further behind, increasing the pressure on their upcoming series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves.
From a statistical standpoint, the Reds have posted a +15 run differential in their last ten games, driven largely by improved bullpen performance after a rough start to the season. Their relievers have collectively lowered their ERA from 5.12 in April to 3.78 in May, a shift credited to pitching coach Derek Bell’s emphasis on high‑spin fastballs and tighter slider usage. Conversely, the Cardinals’ bullpen ERA has risen to 4.95 over the same span, with closer Ryan Helsley experiencing a spike in walk rate (up from 2.1 to 3.8 per nine innings) that has contributed to late‑inning collapses.
Coaching Strategies and In‑Game Decisions
Reds manager David Bell opted to keep starter Hunter Greene in the game for six innings despite a 95‑pitch count, trusting his ability to work out of jams. Greene allowed only two runs on five hits while striking out seven, giving Cincinnati a chance to build a lead. When the game tightened in the eighth, Bell turned to left‑handed reliever Tony Santillan, who induced a ground‑out double play to strand a runner at second — a move that exemplified the team’s reliance on matchup‑based relief.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, meanwhile, left starter Miles Mikolas in for seven innings, a decision that paid off as Mikolas surrendered just three runs on six hits. However, after Mikolas exited, Marmol’s hook to right‑hander Ryan Helsley in the eighth backfired; Helsley gave up a two‑run single to Walker that tied the game. Post‑game, Marmol acknowledged the bullpen’s inconsistency and indicated a potential shift to using a more multi‑inning reliever, such as left‑hander Andrew Kittredge, to bridge the gap between starter and closer in high‑leverage situations.
The use of the automatic runner rule (introduced in 2020 and retained for the 2024 season) added another strategic layer. Both managers employed sacrifice bunts and hit‑and‑run attempts to move the runner into scoring position. The Reds’ successful execution — Higgins’ bunt followed by Steer’s headfirst slide — highlighted their emphasis on small‑ball tactics when the game was on the line, a contrast to the Cardinals’ reliance on power hitting to generate runs.
Expert‑Level Analysis: Leverage and Win Probability
According to FanGraphs’ win probability added (WPA) metrics, Elly De La Cruz’s fifth‑inning homer shifted the Reds’ win expectancy from 38% to 62%, a +24% swing that ranks among the top five single‑at‑bat impacts for Cincinnati this season. Conversely, Jordan Walker’s ninth‑inning RBI single dropped the Reds’ win probability from 78% to 50%, a ‑28% swing that marked the largest negative WPA for St. Louis in the game.
In the 11th inning, with the automatic runner on second and one out, the Cardinals’ win probability stood at 45% before P.J. Higgins’ sacrifice bunt moved Steer to third, raising Cincinnati’s odds to 55%. Steer’s subsequent headfirst slide on Dunn’s grounder pushed the Reds’ win probability to 78%, sealing the victory. The sequence illustrates how small‑ball execution can outweigh pure power in low‑run, high‑leverage environments — a lesson both clubs will likely carry forward as they navigate the congested NL Central race.
Looking ahead, the Reds will aim to harness De La Cruz’s explosiveness early in games to build cushions that relieve pressure on their bullpen, while the Cardinals will seek to harness Walker’s emerging consistency to turn late‑inning opportunities into wins rather than ties. The outcome of this duel may very well influence which club secures a postseason berth as the season progresses into June and beyond.