St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants Prediction & Match Preview- May 7th | MLB Season 2022
The San Francisco Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals in a prime time Saturday night matchup at Oracle Park. This is the third game of a four-game weekend series that has been highly talked about.
With both the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals looking like playoff teams to start the season, which will win the Saturday night contest in San Francisco?
Match Details
Fixture: St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants | MLB Regular Season 2022
Date & Time: Saturday, May 7, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Venue: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
Let's break down everything you need to know ahead of the first pitch.
St. Louis Cardinals Team Preview
The Cardinals faced off against the Kansas City Royals in the final game of a two-game series at Kauffman Stadium yesterday. The Cardinals dominated, winning by a score of 10-0.
The Cardinals offense finally came back to life after two games of scoring a combined two runs. Adam Wainwright got the win and the Cardinals improved their record to 14-10.
Nolan Arenado is continuing his MVP-type season as he had five RBIs, including a three-run homer in the first inning. The Cardinals will look to continue this momentum into the series against the San Francisco Giants.
Key Player: Steven Matz
Steven Matz is a key player for the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Matz is the scheduled starting pitcher for Saturday and has been very good for the Cardinals despite his debut outing where he gave up seven earned runs.
Manager Oli Marmol spoke about the way in which Matz pitches and how it keeps the defense behind him engaged.
Oli Marmol on Steven Matz's pace: "His game's just quick in general. As an infielder, as a defender, you love playing behind that, because you're just engaged the entire time. ... There's a quickness to his game that's just nice. Allowed us to beat the rain."
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"Oli Marmol on Steven Matz's pace: 'His game's just quick in general. As an infielder, as a defendor, you love playing behind that, because you're just engaged the entire time .... There's a quickness to his games that's just nice. Allowed us to beat the rain.'" - @ Bally Sports Midwest
This season, Matz has a 3-1 record with a 4.56 ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals Predicted Lineup
The Cardinals predicted lineup for Saturday night's contest can be seen below.
Newly called up rookie Juan Yepez is a potential starter in the outfield or at first base at some point in this series. His debut outing Wednesday afternoon proved to be a reason to consider him in the starting lineup as he became the first Cardinals player ever to hit two doubles in his debut with the team.
Dylan Carlson and Paul DeJong are both currently struggling at the plate as they are batting below .200 on the season. If the first two games do not go well for the two, manager Oli Marmol may want to switch things up in the lineup.
San Francisco Giants Team Preview
The San Francisco Giants head home for a weekend series against the Cardinals as they come off a series loss to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. In two games against the Dodgers, the Giants scored two runs combined. The Giants offense will need to step up this weekend if they want to win the four-game series against the Cardinals.
The Giants currently sit at 14-10 on the season and are tied for third in the National League West, 2.5 games behind the Dodgers. The Giants will look to make up some ground on their rivals this weekend as they return home.
Key Player: Joc Pederson
Joc Pederson is a key player for the Giants in this game. Pederson is off to a great start to 2022 and has carried the Giants lineup at times this year. This season, Pederson is batting .321 with six home runs and 10 RBIs.
San Francisco Giants Predicted Lineup
The San Francisco Giants predicted lineup can be seen below. The starting pitcher for the Giants is still TBD.
Cardinals vs. Giants Match Prediction
This will be another game that will come down to late-inning relief pitching. With both bullpens being really strong to start the year, go with the better lineup of the St. Louis Cardinals. Final score: Cardinals 4, Giants 2.
Where to watch Cardinals vs. Giants
The game can be seen on Fox Sports 1 and MLB Extra Innings.