Sports Today Wednesday, September 16
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 16, 2026
San Francisco Giants
63-89 · 4th in NL West, 29.5 GB
Steady at the plate
Anthony Molina
@
St. Louis Cardinals
75-77 · 4th in NL Central, 19.5 GB
Bats heating up
LHP Matthew Liberatore · Balanced starter
MLB · Busch Stadium · 10:15 AM PT

Team Identity

San Francisco Giants
Season-to-date, 151 games, 5,794 PA.
An opportunistic, power-hitting offense that cashes in scoring chances, though it can be free-swinging.
Power
Above Avg74
Contact
Average62
Plate Discipline
Well Below18
Speed
Below Avg33
RISP
Above Avg76
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.
St. Louis Cardinals
Season-to-date, 151 games, 5,925 PA.
A balanced offense without a standout strength or glaring weakness. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Well Below17
Contact
Average57
Plate Discipline
Below Avg33
Speed
Average63
RISP
Average62
Recent Form
Trending Up
Hit rate is up 9% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Giants' offense is defined by being opportunistic, and this game tests whether Cardinals can match it.

Swing Factor

Giants rank in the 74th percentile in extra-base production, while Matthew Liberatore sits in the 13th percentile at suppressing total bases.

Momentum

Giants are holding steady and Cardinals are trending up over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Matthew Liberatore limit Giants' power?
Giants rank in the 74th percentile in extra-base production, while Matthew Liberatore sits in the 13th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · GiantsGiants: 0.358 TB/PAMatthew Liberatore: 0.404 TB/PA allowed (663 PA)High confidence
Can Matthew Liberatore command the strike zone?
Giants walk in 7.2% of trips; Matthew Liberatore allows walks sparingly (7.7%).
Edge · Matthew LiberatoreGiants: 7.2% walk rateMatthew Liberatore: 7.7% walks allowedHigh confidence
How do Giants handle left-handers?
Giants have produced worse against left-handers this season (0.335 vs. 0.358 TB/PA overall).
Edge · Matthew Liberatorevs left-handers: 0.335 TB/PA (1689 PA)overall: 0.358 TB/PAModerate confidence
Can Matthew Liberatore miss enough bats?
Matthew Liberatore strikes hitters out at a 22.0% clip (57th percentile); Giants carry a 21.0% strikeout rate.
Edge · GiantsMatthew Liberatore: 22.0% K rateGiants: 21.0% K rateHigh confidence

Pitcher Trends

Anthony Molina
Anthony Molina
San Francisco Giants · 3 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.3/start
Hits allowed5.3/start
6+ Strikeouts — 2 of last 36+ Hits Allowed — 2 of last 3
20% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Matthew Liberatore
Matthew Liberatore
St. Louis Cardinals · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.8/start
Hits allowed5.0/start
6+ Strikeouts — 4 of last 64 or fewer Hits Allowed — 3 of last 6
22% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Christian Koss
Christian Koss
San Francisco Giants · 0.297 hit rate · 0.541 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L107 / 10L2514 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 130% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 14%.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
San Francisco Giants · 0.312 hit rate · 0.906 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2520 / 252-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 113% over his prior baseline, with hits in 6 of his last 7 games.
Shay Whitcomb
Shay Whitcomb
San Francisco Giants · 0.300 hit rate · 0.433 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2512 / 253-game hit streak
Hit rate is up 207% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 8 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 10%.
Turner Hill
Turner Hill
San Francisco Giants · 0.111 hit rate · 0.139 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L103 / 10L2512 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 58% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 9 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 28%.
Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker
St. Louis Cardinals · 0.128 hit rate · 0.154 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L104 / 10L2515 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 66% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 31%.
Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee
San Francisco Giants · 0.167 hit rate · 0.194 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2515 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 49% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 9 games.

Players Positioned to Succeed

77
Ivan Herrera
Ivan Herrera
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Ice cold — 1 hit in the last 25 plate appearances
75
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
74
Alec Burleson
Alec Burleson
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
72
Leo Bernal
Leo Bernal
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
71
Luis Arraez
Luis Arraez
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
70
JJ Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted

Expected Game Shape

UncertainLow confidence

Probable-starter data is incomplete, so the shape is hard to call. Cardinals bring stronger recent momentum. Giants bring more power.

Early edge Giants Driver Unclear without matched starters Volatility Moderate
  • At least one probable starter could not be matched to stored data.
  • Giants are trending steady; Cardinals are trending up.

Storylines to Watch

Does Giants' power tilt the game?
Giants bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Giants power pct 74 vs Cardinals 17
Is Christian Koss the one to watch?
Christian Koss enters as Giants' hottest bat. Total bases per PA is up 130% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 14%.
0.297 hit rate · 0.541 TB/PA · 0.181 hit rate · 0.235 TB/PA
Can Turner Hill snap out of it?
Turner Hill has cooled off. Total bases per PA is down 58% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 9 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 28%.
0.111 hit rate · 0.139 TB/PA · 0.241 hit rate · 0.328 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-16, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.