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Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals' Probable Starters for Upcoming Giants Series

Here is who is pitching this series for St. Louis.
Sep 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;  St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Sep 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The St. Louis Cardinals won a crucial series against the Chicago White Sox and played the role of spoiler once again. They are inching closer to being eliminated from playoff contention, but there are still 12 games to play on the schedule.

Next up is a rematch with the San Francisco Giants, who swept them last week. But the Cardinals will have a chance at redemption this week at Busch Stadium as they continue their final homestand of the 2026 season.

Here is who is pitching for St. Louis as they welcome their old National League rivals to town this week.

Monday: Quinn Mathews

Cardinals
Aug 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Left-hander Quinn Mathews took the hard-luck loss, but pitched quite well in his last outing against San Francisco, allowing just two runs over six innings for the first quality start of his career. San Francisco's dimensions are very pitcher friendly, and the same is true in St. Louis.

Only one of Mathews' starts this season has truly gone south, and that was in Philadelphia last month. Since then, he has been a different pitcher, and he'll get the ball rolling for the Cardinals as they begin their series with the Giants. He is 1-3 with a 4.11 ERA on the season.

Tuesday: Andre Pallante

Cardinals
Sep 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (53) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Andre Pallante pitched into the sixth inning in San Francisco last week and was in line for the win after allowing just one run. But the Cardinals bullpen collapsed again, blowing a 6-1 lead and leading to perhaps the most crushing loss of the season.

But Pallante has still been one of their most consistent starting pitchers this season, having gone 12-6 with a 3.45 ERA. He is back after an elbow injury cost him some time, and while he may not go too deep in the game, he can be counted on to keep the ball on the ground and in the ballpark.

Wednesday: Matthew Liberatore

Cardinals
Sep 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite a rough season, Matthew Liberatore was actually quite a bit better against the White Sox, allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings pitched. Still, he is 5-14 with a 5.53 ERA. It clearly has not been his best season, so this is where things might get a little difficult for the Cardinals.

They aren't fighting for a playoff spot at this point, but the experiment with Liberatore in the rotation could be nearing its end with other options emerging for 2027. Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore in his last start and could be used for length out of the bullpen.

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Curt Bishop
CURT BISHOP

Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding St. Louis Cardinals On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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