The St. Louis Cardinals are down to just 18 games left in the regular season, and a full third of those are against the San Francisco Giants, starting with a crucial three-game set in San Francisco. While the Cards are clinging to a tiny 1.7% chance at that final wild card spot, every single game matters, and facing a Giants rotation that’s been struggling is both a blessing and a potential trap.
Giants’ Pitching Staff Is Stumbling Hard, Even Against A Bailed-Out Season
Look, the San Francisco Giants are already out of playoff contention. Their 59-85 record is absolutely miserable, and they’ve gone 4-6 over their last ten. But even with nothing to play for, they can still spoil a desperate team’s slim hopes. The pitching matchups, according to MLB.com, tell a story of their own. Monday night, we’ve got Michael McGreevy (6-9, 3.97 ERA) for the Cardinals going up against Logan Webb (8-8, 4.21 ERA). Webb hasn’t found a win in his last three starts, and his last outing on September 1 against Pittsburgh was a straight up disaster: nine hits and nine earned runs in a measly two innings. That’s rough, man.
Then on Tuesday, it’s Quinn Mathews (1-2, 4.38 ERA) for St. Louis squaring off with Landen Roupp (8-13, 4.17 ERA). Roupp’s been a bit better, going 1-1 over his last three starts, even tossing five innings of two-hit, one-earned-run ball with four strikeouts and two walks in a no-decision against the Pirates on September 2. Wednesday’s game features a TBD starter for the Cardinals, likely Matthew Liberatore, facing off against Blade Tidwell (0-2, 4.43 ERA). Tidwell’s also winless in his last three, taking a loss on September 3 after giving up two earned runs on two hits over five innings against the Pirates, while striking out five and walking five. It’s clear the Giants staff is trying to find something, anything, to hang onto.
Devers Leads The Charge For An Out-Of-Contention Giants Squad
Even though the Giants are mathematically eliminated, they still have some power hitters that can make noise. Rafael Devers is easily their most dangerous guy, blasting 35 home runs and driving in 91 RBIs, all while hitting .258. The guy can mash, but he also leads the team in strikeouts with a whopping 158. Willy Adames has chipped in with 21 homers and 51 RBIs, but his .230 average is a bit of a concern. Casey Schmitt also has 21 home runs and 55 RBIs, with a better .271 average. And Bryce Eldridge is having a solid year with 15 homers, 45 RBIs, and a .262 average. These guys aren’t just gonna roll over and let the Cardinals walk all over them. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have won six of their last ten, and they need every win they can get. They even pulled off an inspiring comeback against the Rockies on Sunday, but unfortunately, the Padres, Marlins, and Diamondbacks all won their games, too, so no ground was gained in the wild card race.
This series in San Francisco is huge for the Cardinals. They’ve got young talent making strong debuts like Leo Bernal, Joshua Baez, Quinn Mathews, and Connor Hjerpe, and they need to taste what it’s like to compete in September. They finish up the series against the Giants on Wednesday. Every single pitch matters in these final games if they want that 1.7% chance to become anything more. Let’s see if they can capitalize on the Giants’ struggles.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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