Cardinals rally for a 6–5 win over the Giants — Herrera’s two-run homer and a costly Schmitt error swing the wild-card race. Full recap, stats & playoff impact.
Quick snapshot: Cardinals vs Giants
The St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 6–5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night at Oracle Park, capped by Iván Herrera’s two-run homer in a four-run fifth and a series of late defensive miscues by San Francisco that handed St. Louis the lead — a result that kept both clubs alive in the NL wild-card scramble with five games remaining.
Why the Game mattered this week
When two National League clubs tied with identical records meet in late-September, every at-bat and every inning carries outsized playoff meaning. The Cardinals and Giants entered the game neck-and-neck for wild-card positioning; a win here didn’t just move a team up the standings — it shifted momentum during baseball’s most pressure-packed stretch. This series was also a microcosm of the season narratives for both clubs: the Cardinals’ late-season rallies versus the Giants’ streaky offense and defensive lapses.
Final score & headline stats (the essentials)
- Final: St. Louis Cardinals 6, San Francisco Giants 5 (Oracle Park).
- Big moment: Iván Herrera — two-run home run that keyed a four-run fifth inning and tied the game before the Cards took the lead on a Giants error and additional RBI.
- Pitching note: Michael McGreevy picked up the win for St. Louis despite allowing five runs; Justin Verlander took the loss for the Giants after surrendering six runs (four earned) in 4⅓ innings.
- Impact: The result left both clubs in an extremely tight wild-card race, with the Cardinals and Giants effectively tied and trailing the leaders by a handful of games — each contest from here has playoff implications.
Background context — season arcs and stakes
Both franchises entered late September with postseason hopes that had hinged on hot streaks and roster tweaks all season:
- St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards have shown resilience across September, stringing together multiple come-from-behind wins and leaning on a younger core that’s responded well in pressure situations. Their run production out of the middle lineup and bullpen reinforcement have kept them within reach of a wild-card slot.
- San Francisco Giants: A club that surged earlier in the month suffered uneven results the last 10 games, mixing offensive outbursts with defensive lapses. Veteran pitching and several productive bats have kept them dangerous — but errors and blown leads have been recurring storylines.
The late-season calendar leaves little margin for error: both teams had five games left after this contest and were jockeying for position behind the Reds, Mets and Diamondbacks in the wild-card chase. Every win or loss could decide home-field advantages, tiebreakers, or the difference between making the postseason and waiting until next year.
How the game unfolded — inning-by-inning narrative
Early frames — Giants bite first
San Francisco struck early: Heliot Ramos provided a quick spark with a leadoff homer, and the Giants used small ball and situational hitting to pressure the Cardinals’ rotation. Justin Verlander worked through contact but surrendered runs in his brief outing. For a moment, it looked like the Giants might seize control and build a cushion.
Fifth inning — Cardinals explode
The game turned on a four-run fifth. Iván Herrera — who had been a late-season force — launched a two-run homer that tied the game and electrified the Cardinals’ dugout. San Francisco then committed a costly defensive error (on a play involving second baseman Casey Schmitt), which allowed St. Louis to take the lead. Jordan Walker added an RBI groundout that extended the margin. The fifth inning was the classic “momentum flip” that defines September baseball.
Late innings — Giants claw back, fall short
The Giants mounted a response and threatened in the late innings, but St. Louis’s bullpen — notably JoJo Romero — shut the door over the final frames to preserve the one-run advantage. Despite Heliot Ramos’s contributions and a loud Oracle Park crowd pushing for a comeback, the Giants couldn’t manufacture a game-winning rally.
That’s a Winner! pic.twitter.com/oLRvf1i97V
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 23, 2025
Player spotlight — who made the difference
Iván Herrera (Cardinals) — big swing, big moment
Herrera’s two-run homer was the catalyst for the rally and the most consequential hit of the night. Beyond the manufactured stat line, Herrera’s ability to impact a high-leverage inning showed his maturation as a middle-of-the-order bat and why St. Louis values his presence in late-season plans.
Michael McGreevy (Cardinals pitching) — gritty win
McGreevy earned the decision despite giving up multiple runs; his ability to navigate traffic and let the bullpen do the heavy lifting was crucial. Wins like this are often team efforts, and McGreevy’s composure in the early frames set up the Cards’ offensive chance.
Heliot Ramos & Rafael Devers (Giants) — offense without enough support
Ramos continued to provide pop — a homer and a two-RBI single — that kept San Francisco in the fight, while Devers chipped in a solo shot. Yet defensive mistakes and an inability to sustain rallies past the fifth inning cost the Giants a much-needed home win.
Tactical & managerial analysis — decisions that mattered
Cardinals tactics that worked
- Aggressive two-strike hitting in the fifth: St. Louis capitalized on pitches in the zone and turned a middling inning into a multi-run outburst.
- Bullpen deployment: Managerial calls to trust JoJo Romero and the late relief corps allowed the Cards to preserve the lead in high leverage situations.
Giants adjustments that missed
- Infield defense and execution: The error that led to the Cards’ go-ahead run was the most visible example; small defensive miscues have compounded for San Francisco all month.
- Starter depth: While Verlander is a veteran ace, he couldn’t go deep enough to spare the bullpen, and the Giants leaned on relievers to cover innings late — the margin for error proved thin.
[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]
Advanced analytics snapshot — what the numbers say
- Win Probability (WP): The fifth-inning swing produced a dramatic WP shift in favor of St. Louis; MLB gamecast charts show the Cards’ chances rising sharply after Herrera’s homer and the Schmitt error.
- Run expectancy: Converting a bases-loaded or runner-in-scoring-position opportunity into multiple runs (as the Cards did) significantly raised their run expectancy for the inning and the game.
- Defensive efficiency: The Giants’ defensive runs saved (DRS) in September dipped compared with earlier months; late-season fatigue and pressure situations often exacerbate these trends. Analysts will point to the error and late-inning performance as indicators of a team under strain. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Standings & playoff implications (late-season landscape)
This game mattered beyond the single win:
- Both teams remained in tight contention for the final NL wild-card berths after the Cardinals’ win; the result tightened the logjam and underscored that every remaining game had playoff ramifications.
- With only five games remaining for each club after this contest, the pressure to avoid late-season collapses increases. Tiebreakers, head-to-head records and run differentials could be decisive if these runs of form continue.
For bettors and bracket watchers, this outcome slightly favored the Cardinals in the immediate wild-card equation — but both franchises were still within striking distance of the leaders. Fans should watch the upcoming schedules closely: divisional matchups and series against other wild-card hopefuls carry extra weight.
Where to watch / follow (for fans searching live info)
- Live boxscore & highlights: MLB.com’s game center provides play-by-play, pitch charts, and highlights.
- Recaps & analysis: ESPN and Reuters filed detailed recaps and postgame notes; local beat writers on the Giants’ and Cardinals’ sites offer locker-room quotes and deeper analysis. (ESPN.com)
- Video highlights: The official MLB YouTube channel and team pages post extended highlight packages within minutes of game end. (YouTube)
Postgame reaction & locker-room quotes (highlights)
- Cardinals manager: Praised the team’s resilience and specifically called out Herrera’s at-bat as the turning point — the kind of clutch moment managers love in September. (See team release/interviews on Cardinals.com.) (MLB.com)
- Giants manager & Verlander: The skipper acknowledged the error and missed opportunities, and Verlander — while reflective — emphasized he’ll continue to give everything to help the club win. Local pressers captured the urgency in tone and content. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Fan reaction & social media pulse
Oracle Park saw both highs and lows: Giants fans celebrated early offensive flashes but left deflated after the fifth-inning collapse. On social platforms, the game generated buzz around Herrera’s breakout moment and debate about the Giants’ late-season defense. Reddit and X threads dissected replay angles on the error and parsed how this loss might affect San Francisco’s playoff odds. (Reddit)
What to watch next — upcoming games & storylines to follow
- Remaining five games: Both clubs have only a handful of regular-season games left — look for pitching matchups, bullpen usage, and rest patterns. The Cardinals will lean into their momentum; the Giants must fix execution on defense.
- Trade deadline survivors & roster health: Late-season injuries can sway short series; monitor official injury reports and roster moves.
- Tiebreaker scenarios: Keep an eye on head-to-head records, intra-division play, and how the Reds/Mets/Diamondbacks perform — the entire NL wild-card picture remains fluid.
FAQ (SEO-friendly quick answers)
Q: What was the final Cardinals vs Giants score?
A: Cardinals 6, Giants 5 (Sept. 22/23, 2025). (ESPN.com)
Q: Who hit the big home run for the Cardinals?
A: Iván Herrera hit a two-run homer that keyed St. Louis’s four-run fifth inning. (Reuters)
Q: Who got the win and loss?
A: Michael McGreevy earned the win for the Cardinals; Justin Verlander took the loss for the Giants. (Reuters)
Q: Does this game affect the playoff race?
A: Yes — the result tightened the NL wild-card race and left both teams within close striking distance with only a handful of games left. (Reuters)