Cardinals vs Reds Preview: Young Arms Start Week 61 Clash

The Cardinals pitch Kyle Leahy and his young staff to Cincinnati tonight. St. Louis sits 28-21 with a two-game losing streak behind them. Their pitching crew is the heart of this team's future. Young arms like Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May must prove they can win big games. Closer Riley O'Brien will be watching from the bullpen. This is exactly the kind of matchup where you see if these younger pitchers belong. Every inning matters when you're trying to climb back into the playoff race.

Chris Paddack takes the mound for Cincinnati. The Reds won their last two games and hold a 26-24 record. Their pitching staff has huge holes right now. Star ace Hunter Greene is recovering from elbow surgery and won't return until July. Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo carry extra weight in the rotation. The Reds' exciting young offense must score runs while the pitching figures things out. Cincinnati needs to stay close in the division while Greene heals up.

Both teams are hurting right now. The Cardinals lost Nathan Church to injury and must call up Bryan Torres from Memphis. Ramon Urias' elbow keeps him sidelined for weeks ahead. Cincinnati's Hunter Greene and Rhett Lowder are both recovering from arm issues. Emilio Pagán works his hamstring back slowly in the bullpen. Jose Trevino missed three to four weeks with a hamstring strain. When teams lose key players, games like this one show who steps up next.