ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, two National League Central rivals playing out the final weeks of the season, will meet in the rubber match of a three-game series Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EDT.

Both teams enter the contest with nearly identical, sub-.500 records. The Reds (75-76) sit one game above the Cardinals (74-78) in the standings. The series has been a back-and-forth affair, with Cincinnati romping to an 11-6 victory on Monday before St. Louis responded with a 3-0 shutout on Tuesday.

In Tuesday’s win, Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy was dominant, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits while striking out six. Shortstop Thomas Saggese provided the offense, going 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs.

The Reds’ Andrew Abbott took the loss despite a solid effort, giving up three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings.

The season series between the clubs is tightly contested, with the Reds holding a slim 7-6 edge in the 13 games played so far in 2025.

Despite the Cardinals’ victory on Tuesday, Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 win for the Reds. However, the same outlet’s ELO rating system gives St. Louis a slight 50.7 percent probability to win. Betting markets have installed Cincinnati as a slight favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under for total runs is set at 9.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Reds will head home to open a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The Cardinals have an off-day Thursday before beginning a three-game weekend set against the Milwaukee Brewers at home on Friday.