Rhett Lowder gets the ball for the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night in St. Louis as the good guys open a road series against the Cardinals in Busch Stadium. Dustin May will start for the Redbirds, with first pitch slated to fly at precisely 8:15 PM ET.
The Reds have opened the season’s second half by taking two series on the road, going 4-2 out of the gate despite still being mired in last place with the August 3rd trade deadline looming. How they manage to navigate this particular series may well
go a long, long way towards determining the trajectory of the club for not just the rest of 2026, but for the foreseeable future.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, TJ Friedl, and Noelvi Marte will all open the game on the bench, which is perhaps the best decision Terry Francona has made in weeks.
Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:
