ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 14: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants looks during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on September 14, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
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The St. Louis Cardinals entered their series against the San Francisco Giants looking to build momentum at Busch Stadium against one of the National League’s more disappointing teams this season, but instead watched the visiting club take two of three games.
San Francisco followed a 2-1 loss Monday by winning the next two games, including a dramatic 6-5 victory Wednesday afternoon.
“Drew Gilbert hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon,” the Associated Press reported.
For Giants manager Tony Vitello, however, the trip to St. Louis carried significance far beyond the results on the field. The St. Louis native was returning to the city where his baseball identity was formed, and he used the occasion to issue a challenge to fans of his hometown team.
San Francisco Giants Skipper Tony Vitello Wants St Louis Cardinals To Return
Vitello grew up as a Cardinals fan, attended De Smet Jesuit High School and later played and coached at the University of Missouri. His father, Greg, was a longtime area high school coach, giving Vitello deep roots in the local baseball community.
His first game at Busch Stadium as a major league manager came Monday, when his Giants fell 2-1 to the Cardinals. The setting also gave him an opportunity to revisit memories from his childhood, including watching Mark McGwire break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record in 1998.
But Vitello’s most notable comments were about the fans themselves.
“You come back to this ballpark and it’s like the Giants fans back in the old days. It was always full, and that’s faded a little bit for whatever reason,” Vitello said, according to MLB.com’s Zach Sweet. “If there’s ever a time for Cardinals fans to plant the flag and make it like it used to be, it’s now because they got good leadership over there.”
The challenge comes from someone with an unusual perspective: Vitello is now managing the Giants, but he grew up experiencing Cardinals baseball from the stands.
San Francisco Giants Manager Notes St Louis Cardinals Fan Absence
The Cardinals have continued to draw substantial crowds at Busch Stadium, even as attendance remains below the levels Vitello remembers from his childhood, as the team continues to rebuild toward playoff contention.
“The Cardinals currently rank 18th out of 30 teams in terms of home attendance this season, a small improvement from their 19th-place ranking last year,” Mark Diekneite reported for Fox 2 News. “The team is averaging just under 28,000 fans per game so far this season at Busch.”
The Cardinals face a significant gap in postseason contention and fans have little reason to believe their remaining games will carry any significance, particularly in comparison to the franchise’s historic success. But even from the opposing dugout, Vitello wanted to challenge his hometown fans to support their team in person, suggesting a return to contention is near.
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