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Reds beat Cardinals in 11 innings, split doubleheader
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- Reds beat Cardinals in 11 innings, split doubleheader
The situations were almost identical for Chase Petty , and the Cincinnati Reds were once again calling on the prospect for a spot start in a split doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals .
More than a year earlier, on April 30, 2025, it was the same scenario for what was then Petty's MLB debut: A spot start in a doubleheader against St. Louis . The night was ultimately bittersweet as Petty lasted just 2 1/3 innings against the Cardinals, allowing nine runs on seven hits.
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But that experience made Saturday, May 23, all the more poignant. Tasked again with facing St. Louis in the nightcap of a doubleheader, Petty was a far cry from the debutant the Cardinals chased in less than three innings.
Petty demonstrated aspects of his year-over-year progress, generally cruising through five innings and allowing just one run. In the bottom of the fifth, the Reds posted a five-spot and gave the 23-year-old a 5-1 lead to work with.
Petty ran into trouble in the top of the sixth, hitting Iván Herrera with his first pitch of the frame. Alec Burleson then doubled, and Jordan Walker followed with a three-run homer. That slashed Cincinnati's lead to 5-4, and it knocked Petty out of the game.
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"I thought (Petty) was very good and then he, shoot, he was at 55 pitches going out for the (sixth) inning," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "He hit the guy with a breaking ball, first. Then, kind of a seeing-eye single and, you know, Walker hits a ball. We've got to figure something out with him because he's swinging the bat pretty good.
"But I thought (Petty) was very good. He had some short innings. Just gave up the three real quick."
Petty's showing was representative of his improvement, and it was almost good enough to earn his first career MLB win in four attempts, too. Petty's personal victory was squandered when Tony Santillan blew a 6-4 lead in the ninth inning.
The Reds went on to win 7-6 in 11 innings, and earned a much-needed win against a National League Central opponent. And that was exactly what Cincinnati needed from Petty: To have a chance against a divisional foe at a moment when the club needed a pitcher to step up.
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"I was more just worried about that sixth inning," Petty said. "The boys gave me a big lead there, and you want to go out there and shut it down but... I'm excited the boys got the win. I know it's back to the drawing board for me. I've got stuff to work on. We'll be back in no time and we'll be back better.
"Me and my wife were just talking (about) the parallels of last year. You know, rainout against St. Louis. Doubleheader. Second game. Seven o'clock. But we're so much more calm this time. We've been here before. Just going out there knowing this team needed five-to-six innings and I went out there, gave my best, and like I said, just upset with that sixth inning but back to the drawing board and we'll be better."
Petty's had a mixed bag of results in Triple-A in 2026, as evidenced by 2-4 record and 6.32 ERA. And yet his May 23 outing was his second MLB start this month that put Cincinnati in a competitive position when it had limited starting pitching options.
On May 4, Petty was forced into action for the Reds against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings, ultimately not factoring in the decision in an eventual Cincinnati loss. But that start came in the wake of Cincinnati losing Brandon Williamson and Rhett Lowder to the injured list just days apart, so Petty's given the Reds more than just eating innings.
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In 2025, Petty allowed 13 earned runs and eight walks in six career innings (two starts and a relief appearance). So far in 2026, he's pitched 10 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs in two starts. Six of those seven runs came on two swings − three-run homers by Seiya Suzuki on May 4 and Walker on May 23.
"I think it's a learning experience too because once he got the lead (on May 23), he didn't look like he was quite as aggressive," Francona said. "I think that's a learning experience for him, too."
About 12 hours later and ahead of the Reds-Cardinals series finale, Francona was asked to reflect more on Petty's latest showing.
"He's still young but he's got a year more under his belt," Francona said. "His stuff is good and he's maturing like young guys do. He's got a chance to be pretty good."
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The point here is that while Petty, aged 23, is still a developmental project, he's also still an encouraging one. MLB Pipeline rates Petty the No. 7 prospect in the Reds' system to begin 2026. He's also the top pitching prospect in the organization.
As far as Petty's outing related to the overall success of the 2026 Reds, the pitcher benefitted from the bats showing up on May 23, which hadn't been the case in Game 1 of the day's twin bill.
The Reds were limited to two second-inning hits in the matinee, but had answers offensively throughout the nightcap.
In the fifth inning, Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer to left field for a 3-1 lead. It was De La Cruz's 12th homer of the season.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts after hitting a 3-run home in the fifth inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Later in the inning, Nathaniel Lowe clobbered a two-run home run to right-center field for a 5-1 lead. The homer was Lowe's eighth of the year and second of the day as he also homered in the first game of the doubleheader.
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After Walker's three-run home run to left-center cut Cincinnati's lead to 5-4, the Reds responded through Dane Myers ' double in the left-center field gap, which plated Spencer Steer for a 6-4 advantage.
Cincinnati's bullpen received a midday shakeup during between games on May 23. Connor Phillips and Jose Franco were both optioned to Triple-A Louisville while righty Zach Maxwell was recalled from Louisville. Lefty Caleb Ferguson was also activated from the 15-day injured list.
Phillips, who was key to the Reds' successful postseason push in 2025, headed for Louisville with 5.53 ERA in 25 appearances. His 28 walks over 27 2/3 innings lead all Major League relievers, and several of those walks proved consequential during his appearance in the seventh inning of the 8-1 loss in Game 1.
In Game 2, the bullpen seemed settled until the ninth. Brock Burke (1 1/3 innings) stopped the bleeding in the sixth inning and combined with Graham Ashcraft (1 2/3 innings) to blank the Cardinals in the seventh and eighth innings.
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Santillan allowed a José Fermín solo home run and an RBI single by Walker in the ninth inning to tie to the game. Blake Dunn rescued Cincinnati from being swept in the doubleheader by driving in the game-winning run via Spencer Steer in the 11th inning.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds beat Cardinals in 11 innings, split doubleheader
