The St. Louis Cardinals like the late-season lift they're getting from rookies Quinn Mathews and Leo Bernal.

Mathews and Bernal teamed up Monday night to make key contributions in a 2-1 victory against the San Francisco Giants.

The three-game series will continue Tuesday night in St. Louis.

A left-hander, Mathews took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and pitched effectively into the seventh. Bernal, a catcher, had three hits -- including an RBI single in the fifth -- and also threw out a runner trying to steal second base.

Their strong performances have Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol looking with hope to the future, with both players as building blocks.

Mathews allowed a run, four hits and two walks and had a career-best eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings on Monday.

"He did a really nice job of just staying on the attack," Marmol said. "It looked like he stayed in the moment, pretty much, that whole entire game. Even when he had some baserunners on, you could tell he wasn't fazed by it. That gives you confidence in sticking with him."

Mathews praised Bernal, who has caught him three times since being promoted from Triple-A Memphis at the start of September. They also paired up in the minors on multiple occasions.

Mathews said working with Bernal "definitely just makes my life a little bit easier."

Bernal said of Mathews: "We know the quality of pitcher he is. I love the way he competes."

Marmol consistently praises Bernal's mature approach at the plate. The catcher is hitting .327 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in his first 13 games in the majors.

"He's done a nice job of controlling the strike zone and swinging at what he wants to swing at," Marmol said. "He's under control, he knows what he's doing, and he's only going to get better."

The Cardinals (75-76) are close to being eliminated from postseason contention but are making strides to be contenders in 2027. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers have played more one-run games this season than the Cardinals. Competing in close games should help a young team grow, Marmol said.

"It's a great environment to train under, when you don't have a lot of margin for error," said Marmol, whose team is 24-27 in one-run games. "The attention to detail has to be super high."

Right-hander Andre Pallante (12-6, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday for the Cardinals. He faced the Giants on Wednesday in San Francisco, allowing a run and five hits over five innings. He exited with a 5-1 lead the bullpen could not hold as the Giants won 7-6.

Pallante is 1-0 in nine career outings (five starts) against the Giants, with a 4.55 ERA. He has a 1.99 ERA over his past seven starts, a strong run interrupted by a 2 1/2-week stint on the injured list starting in late August because of a sore elbow.

Giants right-hander Blade Tidwell (0-2, 4.82 ERA), who will start on Tuesday, was Pallante's mound opponent last Wednesday. A rookie, Tidwell allowed five runs -- four earned -- over four innings. He did not figure into the win as the Giants scored six runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Cardinals.

The Giants (62-89), who have lost four games in a row, already have shut down sluggers Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers for the season because of core muscle injuries, and right-hander Logan Webb could be next because of the long grind this season.

It would be "a conversation at this point," Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters.

Webb is considered healthy currently, but he reported a sore knee in May. He made the National League All-Star team for the third straight season, but his overall results have been inconsistent. Webb allowed six earned runs in five innings in a 6-4 loss against the San Diego Padres on Sunday and has a 4.31 ERA in 160 2/3 innings.

He has led the NL in innings thrown in each of the past three seasons. In 2025, his 224 strikeouts topped the league.

--Field Level Media