The St. Louis Cardinals enter Monday night with just 18 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, meaning every series from this point forward carries added importance. Three of those remaining games will come against the San Francisco Giants, with the opening three-game set taking place in San Francisco.
While the Giants have already been eliminated from postseason contention, the Cardinals are still technically alive in the National League Wild Card race. Their chances are extremely slim, but with only a few weeks left on the schedule, St. Louis has an opportunity to use these games not only to keep its faint playoff hopes alive but also to continue evaluating a young group of players who could become important pieces of the team’s future.
Probable Pitching Matchups
According to MLB.com, the projected pitching schedule for the series is as follows:
- Monday, September 7: Michael McGreevy (RHP, 6-9, 3.97 ERA, 102 strikeouts) vs. Logan Webb (RHP, 8-8, 4.21 ERA, 119 strikeouts)
- Tuesday, September 8: Quinn Mathews (LHP, 1-2, 4.38 ERA, 24 strikeouts) vs. Landen Roupp (RHP, 8-13, 4.17 ERA, 137 strikeouts)
- Wednesday, September 9: TBD vs. Blade Tidwell (RHP, 0-2, 4.43 ERA, 36 strikeouts)
Monday’s matchup features two pitchers who will be looking to rebound from difficult stretches. Logan Webb, normally one of San Francisco’s more dependable starters, has struggled recently. He is winless in his last three outings, and his most recent start was particularly rough. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 1, Webb lasted only two innings while surrendering nine hits and nine earned runs.
That performance gives the Cardinals an obvious reason to be aggressive early in the count. If Webb is unable to regain his usual command, St. Louis could have an opportunity to put pressure on the Giants’ pitching staff from the opening innings.
Landen Roupp has had a somewhat steadier recent stretch. He is 1-1 over his last three starts, although his most recent appearance against Pittsburgh on September 2 ended without a decision. Roupp pitched five innings and allowed only two hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking two. The Cardinals will have to find ways to generate offense against a pitcher who can limit damage when he is working efficiently.
Blade Tidwell is also searching for better results. He is winless over his last three starts and took the loss against the Pirates on September 3. Tidwell worked five innings in that game, giving up two earned runs on only two hits. However, five walks kept him from having a truly dominant outing, despite his five strikeouts.
St. Louis had not officially announced its Wednesday starter at the time of writing. Based on the current rotation, Matthew Liberatore appears to be the logical candidate to take that spot.
Giants Hitters to Watch
Even though San Francisco is out of the playoff race, the Giants still have several dangerous hitters capable of changing a game with one swing.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers remains the biggest offensive threat in the San Francisco lineup. He has hit 35 home runs and driven in 91 runs while carrying a .258 batting average.
His power makes him particularly dangerous for a Cardinals pitching staff that cannot afford to give him opportunities in hitter-friendly counts. At the same time, Devers has also struck out 158 times, which represents an area St. Louis pitchers may try to exploit. The key will be attacking him without making mistakes over the middle of the plate.
Willy Adames
Willy Adames has provided additional power for San Francisco, entering the series with 21 home runs and 51 RBI. His batting average sits at .230, so while he has not been the most consistent hitter, his ability to leave the ballpark means Cardinals pitchers cannot afford to overlook him.
Casey Schmitt
Casey Schmitt has matched Adames’ home-run total with 21 homers, while producing 55 RBI and a .271 average. His combination of average and power makes him one of the more well-rounded offensive players the Cardinals will face in this series.
Bryce Eldridge
Bryce Eldridge has quietly put together a solid season, recording 15 home runs, 45 RBI and a .262 batting average. He represents another young offensive player who can make opposing pitchers pay if they fail to execute.
With multiple hitters capable of producing extra-base hits, St. Louis will need to avoid giving San Francisco free opportunities. Limiting walks and keeping runners off base ahead of the Giants’ power hitters could be especially important.
Two Teams Heading in Different Directions
The Giants enter this series at 59-85 and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They are also just 4-6 over their last 10 games, providing little indication that a late-season surge is coming.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have won six of their last 10 games and are still technically alive in the Wild Card race. Their postseason probability remains extremely small at just 1.7%, but the fact that they are still in the conversation makes the final few weeks of the season particularly interesting.
St. Louis’ comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday was an encouraging result. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the win did not translate into any meaningful movement in the Wild Card standings because the Padres, Marlins and Diamondbacks also won their respective games.
That leaves the Cardinals with a very difficult path. They need to continue winning at a high rate while also hoping several teams ahead of them begin to falter. With only 18 games remaining, there is virtually no room for extended losing streaks.
The Bigger Picture for St. Louis
For Cardinals fans, however, the final weeks of the season are about more than the standings.
There has been plenty of reason for optimism surrounding the organization’s young talent. The recent debuts and performances from Leo Bernal, Joshua Baez, Quinn Mathews and Connor Hjerpe have given fans a glimpse of what the next generation of the Cardinals could look like.
That makes this series against San Francisco meaningful even if the playoff odds remain microscopic. Every major-league game provides valuable experience for these younger players, and competing against established big-league talent can accelerate their development.
If St. Louis wants to give itself even a remote chance of reaching the postseason, the formula is simple, although extremely difficult: the Cardinals need to get hot immediately and stay hot through the final three weeks of the regular season. At the same time, the teams currently ahead of them in the Wild Card race need to start losing.
The Giants, despite being out of contention, will not simply roll over. San Francisco still has players fighting for roster spots, future roles and momentum heading into the offseason. That makes this three-game series an important test for a Cardinals team that is trying to balance two objectives: chasing an unlikely playoff berth while developing the young core that could eventually return St. Louis to postseason baseball.
For now, the Cardinals have little choice but to focus on the game directly in front of them. With the margin for error essentially gone, every inning, every at-bat and every pitching decision carries a little more weight.
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