St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
The Story
The St. Louis Cardinals shut out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 at Great American Ball Park on August 18, 2026, holding Cincinnati scoreless through all nine innings while recording seven hits against just three for the home side. The DiamondIQ model opened the game with Cincinnati holding a 50% win probability, but that figure eroded steadily in favor of St. Louis before finishing at 0% for the Reds, a reflection of how thoroughly the Cardinals controlled the contest.
The decisive sequence began in the fifth inning when Masyn Winn delivered a home run off Andrew Abbott, a swing that shifted win probability by 12.7 points and ultimately stood as the most impactful offensive play of the afternoon. The Cardinals extended their advantage in the seventh, where José Fermín doubled off Abbott for a 9.0-point swing, and Pedro Pagés followed with a run-producing single against Zach Maxwell worth 7.6 points of win probability. Alec Burleson added an insurance double off Maxwell in the eighth, contributing another 6.5-point shift. The lone moment of tension came in the bottom of the seventh, when Eugenio Suárez drew a walk off Gordon Graceffo that generated a 7.0-point swing in Cincinnati's favor, though the Reds were unable to convert the threat into runs.
By the DiamondIQ model's win-probability accounting, Winn was the game's top offensive contributor at plus-18.9% WPA with a RE24 of plus-1.4, while Pagés finished at plus-8.7% WPA and plus-0.9 RE24. On the mound, Kyle Leahy was the standout performer with a game-high plus-22.7% WPA, supported by Gordon Graceffo at plus-8.8% and Ryne Stanek at plus-7.9%, as the Cardinals' staff combined to blank Cincinnati on just three hits.