5 studs and 2 duds in Cardinals series split the Reds

Dud - Steven Matz

Matz is a dismal 0-6 on the season. Even though manager Oli Marmol says the team has a six-man rotation, the manager insists on using Matthew Liberatore out of the bullpen. Liberatore is set to start Friday and has been waiting for a rotation spot since he was called to start against the Brewers. He won his start against the Brewers. That said, it seems ridiculous to keep Matz in the rotation. Hopefully, Marmol will keep Liberatore in the starting rotation and bump Matz to the bullpen for long relief appearances.

Matz pitched four innings, giving up 11 hits, two walks, and six runs, including a home run to Matt McLain. He did strike out two batters.

Chris Stratton and Genesis Cabrera each struggled in their three innings of relief after Matz's outing.

Stud - Paul DeJong

DeJong had another series where he could show off the fantastic strides he made this off-season to improve his offense. The simplified batting stance is proving so beneficial for DeJong and the Cardinals. DeJong doesn't have any extra movements. He's removed the leg kick and relies on the combination of his smooth swing hitting a high-velocity pitch. It's been a good combination that he will hopefully build on as the season progresses.

In the second inning of Monday's game, DeJong hit a fly ball home run to left center field, scoring Juan Yepez and Nolan Gorman. The homer traveled 410 feet at 107.2 mph.

In the eighth inning, DeJong doubled to right field, scoring Gorman.