Cardinals Chase Relevance; Giants Play Out the String at Oracle
Two teams headed in opposite directions meet at Oracle Park this afternoon, with St. Louis (72-74) still clinging to whatever September math keeps them technically alive, while San Francisco (61-85) is deep into a lost season. No validated model read exists for this one, so we're going off the numbers and letting the matchup speak for itself.
Andre Pallante is expected to take the mound for St. Louis against a Giants lineup that has struggled all year, and Blade Tidwell is set to start for San Francisco in what figures to be a low-profile Wednesday afternoon affair. The Cardinals need wins badly — at 72-74, they have no margin for error — while the Giants at 61-85 are simply playing out the schedule. That asymmetry in urgency matters. Teams with something to play for tend to show up differently in September day games, and St. Louis has every reason to treat this like a must-win.
On the offensive side, Alec Burleson is the Cardinals' most dangerous run-producer, hitting .284 with 104 RBI on the season — that's a legitimate middle-of-the-order presence. Jordan Walker adds punch with 28 home runs, giving St. Louis a lineup that can do real damage when it connects. For San Francisco, Rafael Devers is the name to watch: 35 home runs and 92 RBI make him the clear power threat in a Giants lineup that hasn't had much else to celebrate in 2026. Jung Hoo Lee's .279 average gives the Giants a contact option at the top, but this offense hasn't been able to sustain pressure all year.
With no validated model read available for this game, there's no clean lean to offer. What we can say is this: the Cardinals have more riding on the outcome, their lineup has demonstrated the ability to produce runs, and Burleson's 104 RBI season doesn't happen without consistent situational hitting. Whether Pallante can keep Devers and the Giants' power in check is the central question of the afternoon. First pitch is at 3:45 PM ET at Oracle Park, available on MLB.TV, NBC Sports BA, and Cardinals.TV.