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At 3:05 PM ET, the Cardinals and Giants square off in an NL matchup. This one is being played at Oracle Park in San Francisco, and the Giants are favored on the money line (-122). The money line odds for a Cardinals win are sitting at +104.
The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the forecast for Sunday’s game calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. Michael McGreevy is starting for the Cardinals, and he is facing off against Hayden Birdsong. The Giants are 4th in the NL West, while the Cardinals are 3rd in the NL Central.
St. Louis vs. San Francisco Key Information
- Teams: Cardinals at Giants
- Where: Oracle Park San Francisco
- Date: Sunday, September 29th
- Betting Odds SF -122 | STL +104 O/U 8
The Cardinals Can Win If…
Michael McGreevy is on the mound for the Cardinals today, and this will be his 3rd start of the season. He has a win and a no-decision in his first two outings, and in his last start, he went 5 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits. McGreevy has 9 strikeouts in 8 innings of work so far this year.
Heading into today’s game, the Cardinals are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 23rd in the majors. This is also the same average they have put up on the road this season. As a team, they are batting .247, which is 9th in the league, and are 17th in terms of drawing walks. St. Louis has been pretty good at avoiding strikeouts this season, as they are 10th in the league in this category.
Over his last seven games, Masyn Winn is batting .281 with one RBI, while Lars Nootbaar and Iván Herrera have each homered twice in their last six and five games, respectively. Nootbaar is 4/15 in his last six games, and Herrera is 8/17 in his last five games. Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson are the Cardinals’ top power threats, as Goldschmidt has gone deep 22 times this season, and Burleson has 21 homers.
- The Cardinals are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Cardinals are 4-1 vs. the run line.
- St. Louis has an over/under record of 5-5 in their last ten games.
- The Cardinals have an average of 6.2 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Cardinals are 5-5
- Looking back across the Cardinals last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
- St. Louis has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Cardinals have averaged 4.8 runs per game on offense
The Giants Can Win If…
Right-hander Hayden Birdsong gets the start for the Giants today as he faces the Cardinals at home. He has made 15 starts this year and has a record of 5-5 with a 4.66 ERA. Birdsong’s WHIP for the season is 1.37, and opponents are batting .208 off him this year. In his 15 starts, he has turned in just one quality start and is averaging 10.24 strikeouts per nine innings. Birdsong’s most recent outing was a good one, as he picked up the win after going five innings and giving up two earned runs. He has won each of his last two starts.
San Francisco’s offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game this season, which is 17th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. The Giants are also right around the league average in terms of home runs and have a team batting average of .239.
Both Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos have been swinging the bat well of late. Chapman has gone 7/27 in his last seven games, including three homers, while Ramos is 11/35 in his last eight games with a home run. For the season, Chapman is batting .247 with a team-high 27 homers, and Ramos is batting .269 with 22 homers.
- The Giants are 7-3 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Giants are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- San Francisco has an over/under record of 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
- The Giants have an average of 5.6 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Giants are 8-2
- Looking back across the Giants last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
- San Francisco has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Giants have averaged 5.7 runs per game on offense
Giants, Cardinals Start Rookies in Season Finale With Pride on the Line
The San Francisco Giants will aim to end their season at an even .500 when they face the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the regular-season finale on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have experienced their fair share of ups and downs this year, hovering around the .500 mark throughout the season. The Cardinals took the series opener 6-3 on Friday, but the Giants bounced back with a 6-5 win on Saturday. With a current record of 80-81, the Giants need a victory to finish the season at 81-81, reflecting their ongoing struggle to break out of mediocrity over the past few years.
Rookie Showdown: McGreevy vs. Birdsong
Both teams are turning to rookie starting pitchers in the season finale, giving some of their youngest talents a valuable shot at gaining experience.
The Cardinals will start right-hander Michael McGreevy (2-0, 2.40 ERA), who has been impressive in his three major league outings so far. McGreevy has started two of those games, and the Cardinals have won all three. The Giants will counter with fellow rookie Hayden Birdsong (5-5, 4.66 ERA), who has shown promise lately, going 2-0 in his last three starts while allowing just five runs over 15 2/3 innings.
For both McGreevy and Birdsong, this will be their first time facing their respective opponents, and they’ll both be looking to make a strong final statement as the season concludes.
Records and Individual Achievements on the Line
While the game lacks postseason implications, several individual distinctions and milestones are still on the line.
Ryan Helsley, the Cardinals’ closer, broke the club’s single-season saves record with his 49th save during their win on Friday. Helsley is now on the brink of an even more exclusive accomplishment—just one more save would make him the 18th pitcher in MLB history to reach 50 saves in a single season. Returning from a forearm injury, Helsley is expected to be available on Sunday, giving him a chance to secure this milestone.
“When I came back (from a forearm injury last) September and I was only the closer and got seven saves,” Helsley said. “I was like, ‘If I get seven a month times six, then that’s 42, and that’s a pretty good year.’ Obviously, I’ve eclipsed that, and it’s been fun.”
Brendan Donovan is also chasing an individual honor. After going 3-for-5 on Saturday, Donovan raised his batting average to .276, moving ahead of Nolan Arenado, who is hitting .272. With one game left, Donovan looks poised to claim the Cardinals’ batting crown.
Meanwhile, Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson are in a close race for the Cardinals’ home run title. Goldschmidt currently leads with 22 homers, while Burleson trails just behind with 21.
Chapman’s Stellar Season
For the Giants, Matt Chapman has led the team in both home runs (27) and RBIs (78), with Heliot Ramos following with 22 homers and 72 RBIs. Chapman is also just two runs shy of reaching the 100-run mark for the third time in his career, which would cap off an already impressive individual season.
Chapman, who joined the Giants this year, has had a strong finish to his first season in San Francisco. On Friday, he was honored with the Willie Mac Award, given to the Giants player considered the most inspirational.
“It’s just been a cherry on top of a great month,” Chapman said. “Obviously, it’d be better if we were going to the playoffs. That’s my goal. I’m going to work this offseason to make that possible next year.”
Heliot Ramos, another standout, is on the verge of securing the batting title for San Francisco in his first full major league season. The 25-year-old outfielder is batting .269 in 475 at-bats, showing promise for a future role as a key contributor for the Giants.
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Final Thoughts
Sunday’s game might not determine playoff spots, but it still holds significance for both teams and their young players. For the Giants, a win would mean closing the season on an even note and providing hope for a more competitive run next year. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are also looking to end their season with positive momentum and achieve some individual milestones.
The rookie showdown between McGreevy and Birdsong serves as a fitting conclusion for two teams that have hovered around mediocrity but have plenty of young talent to showcase. As both teams take the field one last time, they’ll be playing for pride, individual achievements, and the chance to end a challenging season on a high note.
The Lean
For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 2nd highest-scoring game of the day, and for a money line pick, we are leaning toward the Giants to come out on top. The Giants have the 2nd highest team run projection, and Hayden Birdsong has the 5th best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.
