6/12 Gamethread: Giants @ Cardinals

It’s once again time for a new series. The last time the San Francisco Giants were on the road, they earned a sweep. And the last time they faced the St. Louis Cardinals, they won three games. Ergo, they should sweep this three-game road series against the Cardinals ... right?

That’s my math and I’m sticking to it.

Roster note: prior to the game, the Giants called up righty Keaton Winn and optioned righty Tristan Beck. Winn, who will make his MLB debut whenever he gets into a game, will pitch in the role that Beck (who had appeared twice in the last three games, throwing 85 pitches) had been in. Which means the Giants are hoping his debut doesn’t come tonight.

That’s because they’re sending their ace to the mound, right-hander Logan Webb, who makes his 14th start on the year. Webb is 4-6 with a 3.09 ERA, a 3.47 FIP, and 85 strikeouts to 17 walks in 84.1 innings. His 1.8 walks per nine innings is the best rate in the National League. Webb was done in by Coors Field his last time out, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings to the Colorado Rockies. It was his first time since his second start of the year back on April 5 that he didn’t make it through six innings.

For the Cardinals, it’s Matthew Liberatore, the first lefty starter the Giants have faced in a while. Libertore has a ton of talent in his arm, which is evidenced by the fact that he was a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays. But he’s also quite raw: he’s still only 23 years old, and this is just his 14th MLB appearance and 11th start. In four games (three starts) this year, Liberatore is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA, a 4.67 FIP, and 11 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 innings. After starting the year with a five-inning, no-run game, he’s allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 10 innings in his three appearances since.

Enjoy the game, Giants fans!

Lineups

WAR figures courtesy of Fangraphs

Giants

1. Austin Slater (R) — CF — 152 OPS+ (+0.5 WAR)
2. Thairo Estrada (R) — 2B — 129 OPS+ (+2.5 WAR)
3. Wilmer Flores (R) — 1B — 95 OPS+ (0.0 WAR)
4. J.D. Davis (R) — DH — 133 OPS+ (+1.8 WAR)
5. Mitch Haniger (R) — LF — 75 OPS+ (0.0 WAR)
6. Michael Conforto (L) — RF — 116 OPS+ (+0.9 WAR)
7. Casey Schmitt (R) — 3B — 96 OPS+ (+0.4 WAR)
8. Patrick Bailey (S) — C — 129 OPS+ (+0.7 WAR)
9. Brandon Crawford (L) — SS — 71 OPS+ (+0.2 WAR)

P. Logan Webb — RHP — 3.47 FIP (+1.6 WAR)

Cardinals

1. Brendan Donovan (L) — 2B — 100 OPS+ (+1.3 WAR)
2. Paul Goldschmidt (R) — 1B — 139 OPS+ (+2.1 WAR)
3. Nolan Gorman (L) — DH — 136 OPS+ (+1.5 WAR)
4. Nolan Arenado (R) — 3B — 122 OPS+ (+1.3 WAR)
5. Willson Contreras (R) — C — 79 OPS+ (+0.4 WAR)
6. Dylan Carlson (S) — RF — 98 OPS+ (+0.4 WAR)
7. Jordan Walker (R) — LF — 111 OPS+ (-0.2 WAR)
8. Paul DeJong (R) — SS — 100 OPS+ (+0.9 WAR)
9. Tommy Edman (S) — CF — 92 OPS+ (+0.9 WAR)

P. Matthew Liberatore — LHP — 4.67 FIP (+0.1 WAR)

Game #66

Who: San Francisco Giants (33-32) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (27-39)

Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

When: 4:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM