Reds beat Cardinals 5-3 in 10 innings to win 3 straight road series for first time since 2023

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sal Stewart drove in the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit single in the 10th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 on Sunday.

The victory capped a 6-3 road trip for Cincinnati coming out of the All-Star break. Since the break, the Reds, in last place in the NL Central, have won two of three against Colorado, Seattle and St. Louis.

Stewart's line drive to right field against Matt Svanson (2-3) scored automatic runner Tyler Stephenson and pushed Cincinnati to its third straight road series win for the first time since 2023.

After Eugenio Suárez was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, Nathaniel Lowe extended the lead with a two-run single to left.

Elly De La Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes hit solo home runs for Cincinnati. Reds second baseman Spencer Steer left the game with right wrist pain after fouling a pitch off the end of his bat in the fifth inning.

The team said Steer would have imaging done and see a hand specialist on Monday.

Iván Herrera hit a solo homer, and Alec Burleson had three hits, a run scored and an RBI as St. Louis lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Brock Burke (4-4) got Lars Nootbaar to foul out with the bases loaded in the eighth, then pitched a spotless ninth for the Reds. Rookie Julian Garcia earned his first career save after allowing the automatic runner to score on Burleson's 10th inning RBI single.

Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings, allowing one walk and six hits— including the solo homers by De La Cruz and Hayes.

Andrew Abbott of the Reds also lasted six innings, giving up two runs on three hits. He had four walks and four strikeouts.

Reds RHP Chase Burns (12-1, 2.42 ERA) is set to start against Cleveland RHP Slade Cecconi (4-7, 4.60) in Cincinnati on Monday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Cincinnati Reds' Dane Myers, left, is out as St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, right, throws to first base during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)

St. Louis Cardinals' José Fermín is hits a sacrifice fly to score Alec Burleson during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)

Cincinnati Reds' Elly de la Cruz (44) reacts with third base coach Willie Harris, back, after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)

St. Louis Cardinals' Iván Herrera is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)

At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day.

Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C), according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures.

“It’s extraordinarily hot,” said Pete Miller, an outreach manager for the homeless services network Threshold CoC, which was passing out water bottles to residents in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who are exhausted, drained by the heat in a way that is really dangerous,” Miller added. “The humidity is insane. You stand outside for 30 seconds and you get drenched. And it’s going to be like that all night.”

On Saturday, Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 C). A horse race planned in Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minnesota, was canceled Sunday because of the heat.

“Right now, it’s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,” said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. “The core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.”

The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday. The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days.

“If you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you’ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,” Oravec said. “It’s all related.”

Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted.

Authorities warned that children and older adults, along with people with certain medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious conditions including heat stroke or even death. Experts recommend seeking out air conditioning or a cooling center, make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.

Extreme heat events are increased and exacerbated by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal.

The continental U.S. endured the second-hottest first half of the year on record in 2026, according tracking of average temperatures by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

The sun beams down on a lifeguard while she watches over a beach at Lake Harriet during an extreme heat warning, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)