Cardinals vs Reds Preview: Young Arms Meet in Week 61

The Cardinals came into Cincinnati and their bats are swinging. Walker hit a rocket over the right center wall yesterday and is clearly locked in. You've got to love the Cardinals' recent offense—they scored 8 runs on Thursday and 6 last night in an extra-inning thriller. Both teams are trading haymakers, but St. Louis's hitting lineup is keeping pace. The Cardinals sit at 29-22 on the year and they need these kinds of performances to climb back into the race. Watch Walker step up again on Sunday. His power is real, and Cincinnati's pitchers need to respect what he brings.

Here comes Brady Singer for the Reds on Sunday. Singer pitched in Kansas City before joining Cincinnati, and he's carrying a 6.75 ERA into this matchup. That's a big number, and it tells you Cincinnati's rotation has work to do. The Reds are 27-25 and sitting at home in front of their fans at Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati needs solid pitching performances like this to stay in the mix. Singer has struck out 5 batters in the statistics we're tracking. The Cardinals' bats will be ready to test him from the first pitch.

Matthew Liberatore takes the ball for St. Louis on Sunday. He's one of those young arms the Cardinals need to step up this season. The Cards don't have a proven ace right now, so guys like Liberatore carry major responsibility in the rotation. He needs to prove he can handle meaningful games and pitch consistently when it matters most. St. Louis is counting on their young starters to develop and execute. The Cardinals' bullpen will also play a role with Riley O'Brien getting closing opportunities. This game is a chance for Liberatore to show he's ready for the big moment.