The St. Louis Cardinals just delivered one of their most complete performances of the season — and once again, Masyn Winn was at the center of the chaos.
Winn put together a career-type night at the plate, launching a home run, smashing two doubles, scoring twice, and making game-changing plays at shortstop as the Cardinals shut down the Cincinnati Reds in a 3-0 road victory Tuesday night.
The young star became the spark behind an offense that needed a breakthrough, finishing the night with three extra-base hits while helping St. Louis continue its impressive surge. Winn’s power display was the difference-maker in a game dominated by pitching.
On the mound, Kyle Leahy continued proving he belongs among the Cardinals’ most reliable arms. The right-hander fired five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six and walking nobody. He improved to 10-4 on the season and extended his winning streak to five consecutive decisions.
Leahy has quietly become one of baseball’s hottest pitchers in August. In his three starts this month, he has pitched exactly five innings each time, surrendering only three total runs for a remarkable 1.80 ERA. Even more impressive — he has piled up 20 strikeouts without issuing a single walk during that stretch.
The Cardinals’ bullpen then slammed the door. Ryne Stanek, Gordon Graceffo, George Soriano, and Riley O’Brien combined for four hitless innings, with O’Brien recording his 32nd save of the season after a perfect ninth inning.
St. Louis’ defense also made its presence felt, with Winn flashing the glove alongside his offensive explosion. His ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball continues to give Cardinals fans a glimpse of the franchise cornerstone they hoped he could become.
The Cardinals broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning when Winn crushed a line-drive homer to left field off Reds starter Andrew Abbott. It was the moment that flipped the entire game.
Abbott kept Cincinnati within striking distance, allowing only two runs across 6 1/3 innings while striking out six, but Winn struck at the perfect time. The shortstop returned in the seventh inning to ignite another rally, teaming with Jose Fermin for back-to-back doubles that pushed St. Louis ahead 2-0 and chased Abbott from the game.
The Cardinals added insurance in the eighth when Joshua Baez delivered a sacrifice fly after Jordan Walker reached base and Alec Burleson ripped a double to put runners in scoring position.
With the victory, St. Louis improved to 4-2 on its season-long 11-game road trip and has now won six of its last eight games.
The biggest takeaway? The Cardinals are finding a winning formula — dominant pitching, timely hitting, and a young star in Winn who is starting to look like the player the organization envisioned.