Game Wrap 9/14/2026: Cardinals 2 Giants 1

 Another fumbled starter to reliever handoff in the 5'th inning was too much for a Deversless lineup to overcome in a close loss.  Key Lines:

Grant McCray LF- 1 for 4, 2B, R.  BA= .147.  The McCray's double led off the 6'th inning and was the Giants first hit of the game and it was smoked.  111.6 MPH.  After a groundout by Christian Koss SS, Jonah Cox CF/2B singled McCray in.  A major turning point in the game came when Cox was thrown out stealing 2B after a strikeout by Bryce Eldridge 1B to end the inning.  

The Giants had another big opportunity in the 7'th when Shay Whitcomb 2B and Turner Hill DH left off the inning with consecutive singles.  Tony Vitello tried to play small-ball and had Brett Harris 3B sacrifice the runners over, but Jung Hoo Lee's flyball to RF was not deep enough to test Jordan Walker's arm.  Andrew Knizner C drew a 2-out walk to load the bases but Grant McCray grounded out to end the threat.  I've liked the small ball move of bunting over two runners with no outs ever since I saw the Koreans use it to win a WBC, especially in a close game, although classic Moneyball analysis says don't do it.  The key, though, is it puts tremendous pressure on the next batter to at least get that lead runner home. Lee made contact which is the first requirement but didn't get it quite deep enough for a sac fly.

The Giants got 2 runners on base in each of the 8'th and 9'th innings but failed to score.

Landen Roupp RHP- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.01.  Roupp was not as sharp as Cardinals SP Quinn Matthews LHP but matched goose eggs for 4 innings.  He then allowed two batters to reach base with one out in the 5'th.  Tony Vitello went to Reiver Sanmartin LHP to face the lefty batting Alec Burleson who singled in a run.  Sanmartin followed with a wild pitch, walk and single for the second run.  That brought in Joel Kuhnel RHP to get out of the inning but that was the ballgame.  

Landen Roupp appeared to be upset at being taken out and he would have had a point but apparently his issue was with the ump who he thought called a strike on the first pitch to Ivan Herrera(it actually was a strike on statcast). There was more discussion between Roupp and the coaches in the dugout.  It appears Roupp was the one who got wrong hand for balls and strikes and the ump held up the correct finger.  Perhaps his thinking was he could have challenged the call if he knew it was called a ball?  If so, it was his missed opportunity on him. 

Blade Tidwell RHP tries to get his game back on track this evening after a subpar start facing Andrew Pallante RHP who comes in with a 3.45 ERA.

Unlike the end of the last 3 seasons, I like the fight I am seeing from the young players.  Whether that is Tony Vitello or Rafael Devers leadership or the young players trying to grab an opportunity by the throat, I am not seeing them quit on the manager or the season in the way that got both Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin fired.  And if you fire the manager when the team quits on them, then Tony Vitello gets the credit and gets to stay when they don't.