Gilbert's 10th-Inning Blast Lifts Giants Over Cardinals

Late Heroics Decide Tight Contest

Drew Gilbert provided the decisive blow in the bottom of the 10th inning, hitting a two-run home run to center field that lifted the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The away team had trailed or tied for much of the game, but Gilbert’s drive, which traveled 415 feet, proved to be the difference in a matchup that stretched into extra innings. The Giants improved their record to 64-89, while the Cardinals fell to 75-78 in front of a crowd of 24,960 at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Scoring Sequence and Key Moments

The Giants took an early lead in the third inning when B. Harris grounded into a double play, allowing Cox to score. The Cardinals responded in the seventh inning, initially tying the game at 3-3 through a series of errors and wild pitches. In that same frame, Knizner singled to left to score Whitcomb, extending the Cardinals' lead to 4-2.

The Giants clawed back in the ninth inning, with Fermín driving in Gorman on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4. Bernal then singled to right, allowing Saggese to score and putting Winn on third base, bringing the score to 4-4 as the top of the 10th approached.

The Cardinals scored one more run in the 10th to make it 5-4, but Gilbert’s homer off the bat of McCray sealed the victory for the visitors.

Pitching Performance

Anthony Molina led the Giants' pitching staff, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out six batters. He was followed by Philip Abner, Carson Seymour, Trent Harris, Dylan Smith, Reiver Sanmartin, and Joel Kuhnel, who recorded the save.

On the mound for St. Louis, Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, allowing six hits and one earned run with three walks and two strikeouts. Luis Gastelum, Justin Bruihl, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O'Brien, who took the loss, also appeared in relief. The game featured exactly one home run, hit by Gilbert, and no other extra-base hits were recorded in the scoring plays.

The Giants' offense was fueled by timely hits and defensive miscues by the Cardinals, which allowed them to keep the game close until the final out.

Sources

ESPN