As Sonny Gray winds down his second season with the Cardinals, 2025 won't go down as one to remember.
Gray starts Sunday as the Cardinals wrap a three-game home series and the season's penultimate homestand vs. the Giants with Sunday's 1:15 p.m. finale.
It's the rubber game after the Cardinals rallied in the ninth for a 3-2 win on Saturday.
TheÌýright-hander Gray (12-8, 4.43 ERA) is coming off another rough start, seven earned runs allowed vs. the Athletics on Monday.ÌýSince the break, he has a 6.44 ERA in nine starts, allowing six or more runs in four of them.
If the season ended today, Gray's second-half ERA would be the worst in his career, not counting one shortened by injury.
People are also reading…
Entering the weekend, he ranked 62nd of 65 qualified starters in Fangraphs wins above replacement. Gray is also in danger of recording his worst full seasonÌýsince 2018 and the third-worst of his career. He has been a slightly below-average pitcher this season by ERA+, which normalizes ERA by ballpark and the league's general pitching environment.
A big part of Gray's decline has been on the strength, or lack thereof, of his most-thrown pitch, his four-seam fastball. Batters are hitting .358 against it this season, the third straight year of worsening results with the four-seamer.
In 2022, batters hit .246 against it, and it's been downhill since.
Gray's decline mirrors the team's. After the Cardinals' starting pitching was roughly average in the first half, it's been one of the league's worst since.
The Giants will start TaiwaneseÌýrookie right-hander Kai-Wei Teng (2-3, 7.23 ERA). Teng, who has spent most of this season in Triple-A, has pitched mostly in short bursts, but he has worked into the sixth inning several times.
The Cardinals are 71-72 and 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ would have to pass four teams, one of which is the Giants, to claim that spot.
The Giants are 72-70 and had their five-game win streak snapped Saturday.
How to watch Cardinals vs. Giants
When:Ìý1:15 p.m. Sunday
Where:ÌýBusch Stadium in St. Louis
TV/radio: FanDuel ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .
Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Lars Nootbaar, LF
2. Iván Herrera, DH
3. Nolan Gorman, 1B
4. Masyn Winn, SS
5. Thomas Saggese, 2B
6. Pedro Pagés, C
7. Jordan Walker, RF
8. Nathan Church, CF
9. José FermÃn, 3B
P: Sonny Gray, RHP
GIANTS
1. Heliot Ramos, LF
2. Rafael Devers, DH
3. Willy Adames, SS
4. Dominic Smith, 1B
5. Matt Chapman, 3B
6. Jung Hoo Lee, CF
7. Casey Schmitt, 2B
8. Drew Gilbert, RF
9. Andrew Knizner, C
P:ÌýKai-Wei Teng, RHP
Injury report
Nolan Arenado, 3B (right shoulder strain):ÌýArenado will take live batting practice Monday and Tuesday at Busch Stadium before heading out on a rehab assignment that is currently planned to begin Wednesday. He expects to go to Class AA Springfield for several games. Arenado said his goal is to return to the Cardinals on Sept. 15 when they host Cincinnati.ÌýÌýUpdated Sept. 7
Alec Burleson, 1B/OF (right wrist pain):ÌýBurleson is set to rejoin the Cardinals on Monday, the first day he eligible to come off the injured list. He was able to participate in baseball activities all weekend and if he recovers well from Sunday's workout will be in the lineup at Seattle.ÌýUpdated Sept. 7
Brendan Donovan, 2B (sprained toe/left groin):ÌýAfter taking live batting practice on Monday at Busch Stadium, Donovan will travel to begin a rehab assignment with a minor-league affiliate Tuesday. The Cardinals are going to go game-by-game for how long he needs in minor-league games to be ready to return to the lineup.ÌýUpdated Sept. 7
John King, LHP (mid-back strain):ÌýLefty will throw live batting practice Monday to teammates at Busch Stadium. He was able to complete a successful bullpen session without issue and could be in a minor-league game by the weekend. King’s back injury is believed to be related to the left oblique strain that landed him on the IL near the end of July and kept him sidelined through the first three weeks of August.ÌýUpdated Sept. 7
Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain):ÌýLefty starter remains on a throwing program in Jupiter, trying to overcome some setbacks as he increased the intensity of his throws through the course of the season. He's visited St. Louis for evaluation to monitor if the injury worsens. Thompson has been sidelined since the start of March and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early April. There is no timetable for his return to the mound.ÌýUpdated Aug. 6
