After 144 games, including 42 against the opposing league, the Giants finally play against one of the NL original teams. There’s just no sense of history in baseball anymore, but please send all your money to Kalshi!
• Monday, 5:10, XHP Michael McGreevy (6-9, 3/97) vs. Logan Webb (8-8, 4.21), Peacock/NBC
• Tuesday, 6:45, XHP Quinn Matthews (1-2, 4.38) vs. Landen Roupp (8-13, 4.17)
• Wednesday, 12:45, XHP Andre Pallente (12-6, 3.51) vs. Blade Tidwell (0-2, 4.43)
At the time of typing, STL’s pitching is formally TBD, so we’re using the Roster Resource projections. Logan Webb has the advantage of Perdomo’s Sunday start pushing all of the rotation back an extra day, as he tries to recover from a 65 pitch start, where he gave up 9 runs without getting an out in the 3rd inning.
The 59-85 Giants won thrice on the road trip, about all fans can expect. 4 more wins keeps them away from losing 100, with 18 left to go: 6 against these Red Birds, 6 against the dodgers. That figures to be a close run thing. The 72-72 Cardinals are a long shot to get into the playoffs, but a 0.500 record puts them 4 games out of the last Wild Card slot, tied with the Marlins, and also needing to get past the Padres and Snakes to get in. They were considered “sellers” at the deadline this year, dealing Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Lars Nootbaar.
Cardinals team, for Oli Marmol:
✽ 1B Alec Burleson (103, 21 HR), 2B Bryan Torres (18), SS Thomas Saggese (12), 3B Nolan Gorman (31)
✽ RF Jordan Walker (100, 28 HR), CF Nathan Church (48), LF Joshua Baez (16)
✽ C Leo Bernal (6), DH Ivan Herrera (64)
✽ bench C Pedro Pages, If Cesar Prieto, IF Ramon Urias, IF/OF Jose Fermin, OF Victor Scott
✽ rotation McGreevy, Matthews, Pallante, Matthwe Liberatore (5-14, 5.57), Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.41)
✽ closer Riley O’Brien, set ups George Soriano and Ryne Stanek
Not very many of those names seem familiar! Masyn Winn is out with a broken thumb, and might return for the final game of the series, as he’s taking BP now. The Cardinals have only reliever Max Rajcic on the 60-day list, compare the 15 Giants on that!!
The Hot Line down in the Picture of the Post department started ringing off the hook this evening. Lo and behold, it was Raphael Devers’ agent on the line! He said it is all well and good that recent Pictures have gone to Basabe, Leonard, Cox, Koss, Gilbert, Bericoto, Tidwell, Marte, Sanmartin, and Perdomo, but shouldn’t Devers be chosen? The crack staff down there replied at once “you must have been out sick Monday, when Devers was the Picture for the Braves makeup game”. But point taken, we should note what Rafi has done lately. Combining the last home stand and this just ended road trip (13 games), he has gone 21-54 (0.389) with 9 walks. 9 home runs, 16 runs scored, 21 runs driven in. Pretty good stuff. But he was honored with a Picture on Monday, and the Giants still have some new players to fête.
Specifically, Anthony Molina, who came to the Giants from the Braves at the trade deadline, in exchange for Tyler Mahle. Molina was a Rays signing out of Venezuela back in 2018, and is still just 24. He reached the majors with the Rockies in 2024, and pitched for them the following year, too. He started this year with the Braves organization, getting a call up in May, and made three appearances for them. Molina made only 4 starts in 55 appearances for the other two teams. He first appeared with his new team against the Reds, when Adrian Houser’s forearm blew up after 5 outs. He has subsequently started twice, lasting 5 innings each time, and getting W’s from each. For the Giants, 14.1 IP allowing 8 hits and 2 walks, just 3 ER. 13 strikeouts recorded. One of the wins was the only victory in Citi Field, and the image shows him completing the sweep in Atlanta. The Giants could control this guy through the 2030 season, and he has one minor league options left after this season. Perhaps a very tasty pickup? We will see, but he’s already bagged the high honor of being our new Picture of the Post.
