Preview for Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Schedule and player information can change.
San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals meet with a 1:15 PM ET start, and the pitching matchup features Anthony Molina for the Giants against Matthew Liberatore for the Cardinals. Molina has thrown approximately 22.3 innings with an ERA of 5.24 and a WP-calculated FIP of 3.89, while Liberatore has logged approximately 143.3 innings with an ERA of 5.53 and a WP-calculated FIP of 4.77. Molina's FIP is notably lower than Liberatore's, suggesting his underlying performance has been stronger even though his ERA sits higher than his FIP would indicate, while Liberatore's FIP and ERA are both higher than Molina's marks.
Looking at the team-level numbers, the Cardinals hold a wOBA of 0.306 against the Giants' 0.310, meaning San Francisco's offense rates slightly better by that measure. On the run-prevention side, St. Louis shows a team ERA of 4.29 and FIP of 4.16, both lower than San Francisco's team ERA of 4.36 and FIP of 4.28, giving the Cardinals a modest overall edge in preventing runs even as their individual starter's numbers lag behind Molina's.
Both clubs list several injuries. Willy Adames, Harrison Bader, and Victor Bericoto are among the Giants players with reported statuses, including a 60-Day IL listing for Bader, while the Cardinals report statuses for Hunter Dobbins, Frank Elissalt, and Richard Fitts, with Elissalt and Fitts each on the 60-Day IL. Weighing the figures together, the Cardinals' team-level pitching numbers and the disparity between the two starters' FIPs make for a fairly close overall picture, with San Francisco's slight offensive edge in wOBA balanced against St. Louis's better team ERA and FIP.
Statistical scope: MLB Stats API; 2026 regular season season-to-date; exact statistical through-date not supplied.
WP selection: Giants +1.5. Confidence: Slight Lean.
The selection is supplied separately by WP. The comparisons above do not establish why the model made this selection.
WP home-run candidate for Cardinals: Joshua Báez. The selection uses roster and season-stat inputs; it does not establish a confirmed batting lineup or favourable betting odds.
WP home-run candidate for Giants: Shay Whitcomb. The selection uses roster and season-stat inputs; it does not establish a confirmed batting lineup or favourable betting odds.
Predictions are uncertain; no outcome is guaranteed. Check the picks page for the latest available selections.