The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 10-9 on Thursday night at Great American Ball Park, surviving a wild back-and-forth contest that featured five lead changes and 19 combined runs.

Early Offense

The Cardinals struck first in the top of the second inning. Nolan Arenado doubled to left field, scoring Brendan Donovan from first base. Two batters later, Lars Nootbaar singled up the middle to drive in Arenado, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

Cincinnati answered in the bottom of the frame. Elly De La Cruz led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer. TJ Friedl then homered to right field, tying the game at 2-2.

Reds Take Control

The Reds seized momentum in the third inning. Jonathan India walked and stole second. De La Cruz followed with a run-scoring single to left. Steer then launched a two-run home run to left-center, pushing Cincinnati ahead 5-2.

St. Louis chipped away in the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt singled and came home on a double by Willson Contreras. Contreras advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Walker, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

Back and Forth

Cincinnati extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Stephenson walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. India drove him in with a single to right. De La Cruz added an RBI double, making it 7-4.

The Cardinals responded in the fifth. Donovan walked and Arenado reached on an infield single. Nootbaar grounded into a fielder's choice, but Donovan scored on a throwing error by shortstop De La Cruz. Contreras then singled to center, plating Arenado and trimming the Reds lead to 7-6.

Late Rally

Cincinnati added a run in the sixth on a solo home run by Friedl, his second of the night, to make it 8-6. The Cardinals tied it in the seventh. Goldschmidt walked and Contreras singled. Walker doubled to left, scoring Goldschmidt. Brendan Donovan then hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home Contreras and knotting the game at 8-8.

The Reds regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Steer singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. Stephenson drove him in with a two-out single to right, putting Cincinnati ahead 9-8.

Cardinals Final Push

St. Louis mounted its final rally in the eighth. Arenado walked and Nootbaar singled. After a fly out, Goldschmidt was intentionally walked to load the bases. Contreras then hit a two-run single to left-center, scoring Arenado and Nootbaar, and giving the Cardinals a 10-9 lead.

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out two batters to secure the win.

Quotes and Reactions

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praised his team's resilience. "We kept fighting all night. The guys never panicked, even when we were down by three. That is the identity of this club," Marmol said.

Reds manager David Bell lamented the missed opportunities. "We had chances to put them away and we did not. Give them credit, they took advantage of our mistakes," Bell said.

Contreras, who drove in four runs, credited the team's approach. "We stayed aggressive at the plate. We knew the bullpen would give up some runs, so we had to keep scoring," Contreras said.

Friedl, who homered twice for Cincinnati, said the loss stung. "We fought hard, but they got the big hits when it mattered. We have to find a way to close those games," Friedl said.

Up Next

The two teams meet again on Friday night. The Cardinals will send right-hander Miles Mikolas to the mound, while the Reds counter with left-hander Nick Lodolo. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.