Cardinals Rally Past Giants 6-5: Iván Herrera Homer, Schmitt Error Lift St. Louis in San Francisco Thriller (Sept. 22, 2025)

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025

St. Louis Cardinals Edge San Francisco Giants 6-5 in Close Battle

The St. Louis Cardinals rallied in the fifth inning to defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Monday night at Oracle Park. The spotlight shone on Iván Herrera, who launched a game-tying two-run home run, sparking a decisive surge for St. Louis.

Game Recap

Iván Herrera's fifth inning home run brought the Cardinals level with the Giants before St. Louis took the lead after San Francisco second baseman Casey Schmitt committed an error. Jordan Walker extended the Cardinals’ advantage with a crucial RBI groundout, helping secure the win.

Michael McGreevy (8-3) started for St. Louis but struggled early, giving up a leadoff home run to Heliot Ramos, ending his previous 11-inning scoreless streak. McGreevy surrendered five runs on six hits over five innings. JoJo Romero closed the door for the Cardinals by pitching a perfect ninth inning, grabbing his eighth save of the season.

José Fermín contributed offensively with two doubles and an RBI, helping the Cardinals overtake the Giants. The Cardinals surged ahead 5-4 in the middle innings, prompting the end of Justin Verlander’s night on the mound for San Francisco.

Giants Highlights

Rafael Devers provided a spark for San Francisco with a solo home run to lead off the fifth, while Heliot Ramos followed up his first-inning blast with a two-run single in the fourth inning. Ramos’s efforts marked his 19th homer of the season.

Justin Verlander (3-11) was charged with six runs and nine hits across 4 1/3 innings, despite entering the game with an impressive 0.36 ERA over his last four starts. The Giants opened a six-game homestand looking to finish the season strong.

In a milestone moment, Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge made his Oracle Park debut at designated hitter. Newly promoted from Triple-A Sacramento, Eldridge became the youngest position player to appear at Oracle Park for the Giants at 20 years, 337 days old, surpassing a mark set by Madison Bumgarner in 2010.

Key Moment

In the second inning, the Giants' defense executed an impressive 6-2-5-4 double play to escape a jam. Cardinals manager Carlos Marmol animatedly disputed the call, arguing the ball struck Walker in the foot, but the play was not reviewable.

Key Stat

Heliot Ramos has now posted 40 multi-hit games this season for the Giants, a mark last reached by Buster Posey (47) in 2017 and, among outfielders, Denard Span (46) in 2016.

Next Up

St. Louis will send right-handed pitcher Andre Pallante (6-14, 5.23 ERA) to the mound for the second game of the series. The Giants counter with right-hander Logan Webb (14-11, 3.27 ERA).

In summary

The St. Louis Cardinals came from behind with timely hitting, capitalizing on a San Francisco error and Herrera's critical home run to defeat the Giants in a high-scoring contest. Notable performances included multi-hit games by Heliot Ramos and RBI from José Fermín. With strong defense and late-inning relief, the Cardinals held off the Giants to claim a 6-5 win and set up an intriguing matchup for the next game in the series.

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