The San Francisco Giants head to Busch Stadium on Tuesday, September 15 for a 7:45 PM ET showdown against the St. Louis Cardinals. Blade Tidwell gets the ball for San Francisco against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante in a regular-season matchup that carries real weight this late in the calendar. With the season winding toward its final weeks, every game matters, and the Giants need a road performance that holds up from pitch one.

Giants at Cardinals Probable Pitchers: Blade Tidwell vs. Andre Pallante

Blade Tidwell draws the start for San Francisco. The young right-hander has been one of the more intriguing arms in the Giants rotation, and a road start in a hitter-friendly environment like Busch Stadium will test his stuff against a Cardinals lineup that can put the ball in play. Tidwell will need to establish his fastball early and use his secondary pitches to keep St. Louis hitters honest through the middle innings.

On the other side, Andre Pallante takes the hill for the Cardinals. Pallante is a ground-ball oriented pitcher who can keep the ball in the yard — which matters against a Giants lineup that needs to manufacture runs against that kind of approach. San Francisco will need to grind at-bats, work counts, and punish any mistake in the strike zone.

Giants Starting Lineup at Busch Stadium

• Drew Gilbert, CF
• Bryce Eldridge, 1B
• Jonah Cox, 2B
• Jung Hoo Lee, DH
• Osleivis Basabe, 3B
• Turner Hill, LF
• Drew Cavanaugh, C
• Grant McCray, RF
• Christian Koss, SS

Keys to Watch for the Giants

Jung Hoo Lee in the Cleanup Spot

Lee sliding into the cleanup role at DH is the lineup decision to watch. He gives the Giants a professional at-bat in a critical spot, and how he handles Pallante's ground-ball tendencies will go a long way toward determining whether San Francisco can string together anything productive in the middle innings.

Bryce Eldridge and the Top of the Order

Eldridge hitting second is a sign of confidence in the young first baseman. If he can get on base ahead of Jonah Cox, the Giants have a legitimate chance to put up crooked numbers early. The top three in this lineup — Gilbert, Eldridge, Cox — need to set the table consistently.

Tidwell's Pitch Economy

Road games against a lineup like St. Louis's require a starter to be efficient. If Tidwell labors through his first time through the order and exits before the sixth inning, the Giants bullpen faces a long night. Keeping the Cardinals off base early is the assignment.

Prediction

This shapes up as a low-scoring, tightly contested game. Pallante's profile against a Giants lineup that will look to work counts suggests a grind-it-out affair. Tidwell has the stuff to keep St. Louis in check if he commands his fastball. Edge slightly to San Francisco — Giants 4, Cardinals 2 — but this one could easily go the other way. Catch it on NBCS BA or listen on KNBR 680.