Sports Today Wednesday, September 9
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 9, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals
72-74 · 4th in NL Central, 18 GB
Bats heating up
RHP Andre Pallante · Pitches to contact
@
San Francisco Giants
61-85 · 4th in NL West, 27.5 GB
Bats heating up
RHP Blade Tidwell · Balanced starter
MLB · Oracle Park, hits run 5% below average here · 12:45 PM PT

Team Identity

St. Louis Cardinals
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,741 PA.
A balanced offense without a standout strength or glaring weakness. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Well Below20
Contact
Average58
Plate Discipline
Below Avg31
Speed
Average62
RISP
Average58
Recent Form
Trending Up
Hit rate is up 10% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
San Francisco Giants
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,605 PA.
An opportunistic, power-hitting offense that cashes in scoring chances, though it can be free-swinging. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Above Avg77
Contact
Above Avg68
Plate Discipline
Well Below20
Speed
Below Avg33
RISP
Above Avg80
Recent Form
Trending Up
Walk rate is up 50% 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

Andre Pallante strikes hitters out at a 16.2% clip (14th percentile); Giants carry a 20.8% strikeout rate.

Momentum

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

Key Matchups

Can Andre Pallante miss enough bats?
Andre Pallante strikes hitters out at a 16.2% clip (14th percentile); Giants carry a 20.8% strikeout rate.
Edge · GiantsAndre Pallante: 16.2% K rateGiants: 20.8% K rateHigh confidence
Can Blade Tidwell limit Cardinals' power?
Cardinals rank in the 20th percentile in extra-base production, while Blade Tidwell sits in the 65th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · Blade TidwellCardinals: 0.331 TB/PABlade Tidwell: 0.306 TB/PA allowed (180 PA)Moderate confidence
Can Andre Pallante command the strike zone?
Giants walk in 7.2% of trips; Andre Pallante allows walks sparingly (7.4%).
Edge · Andre PallanteGiants: 7.2% walk rateAndre Pallante: 7.4% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Blade Tidwell command the strike zone?
Cardinals walk in 8.1% of trips; Blade Tidwell allows walks at a fairly typical rate (10.0%).
Edge · Blade TidwellCardinals: 8.1% walk rateBlade Tidwell: 10.0% walks allowedModerate confidence
Can Blade Tidwell miss enough bats?
Blade Tidwell strikes hitters out at a 20.0% clip (39th percentile); Cardinals carry a 20.0% strikeout rate.
Edge · CardinalsBlade Tidwell: 20.0% K rateCardinals: 20.0% K rateModerate confidence

Pitcher Trends

Andre Pallante
Andre Pallante
St. Louis Cardinals · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts3.5/start
Hits allowed5.1/start
4 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 64 or fewer Strikeouts — 4 of last 6
16% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Blade Tidwell
Blade Tidwell
San Francisco Giants · 6 starts
SP
Strikeouts4.3/start
Hits allowed4.2/start
4 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 64 or fewer Strikeouts — 3 of last 6
20% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Thomas Saggese
Thomas Saggese
St. Louis Cardinals · 0.410 hit rate · 0.718 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L55 / 5L109 / 10L2513 / 259-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 191% over his prior baseline, with hits in 9 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 18%.
Joshua Baez
Joshua Baez
St. Louis Cardinals · 0.324 hit rate · 0.647 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2514 / 24
Hit rate is up 122% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 24%.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
San Francisco Giants · 0.292 hit rate · 0.750 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2520 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 80% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 10 games.
Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker
St. Louis Cardinals · 0.167 hit rate · 0.292 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2516 / 25
On-base rate is down 39% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 35%.
Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee
San Francisco Giants · 0.105 hit rate · 0.132 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2514 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 66% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 9 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 13%.
Drew Gilbert
Drew Gilbert
San Francisco Giants · 0.083 hit rate · 0.083 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L103 / 10L2512 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 75% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 21%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

88
Ivan Herrera
Ivan Herrera
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Batting 2nd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
79
Leo Bernal
Leo Bernal
1+ Hit
St. Louis Cardinals
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
78
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
77
Bryce Eldridge
Bryce Eldridge
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
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
Heliot Ramos
Heliot Ramos
1+ Hit
San Francisco Giants
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Giants bring more power.

Early edge Giants Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 47th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Cardinals are trending up; Giants are trending up.

Storylines to Watch

Does Giants' power tilt the game?
Giants bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Cardinals power pct 20 vs Giants 77
Is Thomas Saggese the one to watch?
Thomas Saggese enters as Cardinals' hottest bat. Total bases per PA is up 191% over his prior baseline, with hits in 9 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 18%.
0.410 hit rate · 0.718 TB/PA · 0.165 hit rate · 0.247 TB/PA
Can Jordan Walker snap out of it?
Jordan Walker has cooled off. On-base rate is down 39% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 10 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 35%.
0.167 hit rate · 0.292 TB/PA · 0.258 hit rate · 0.447 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-09, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.