The Giants entered their three-game weekend series with the St. Louis Cardinals looking to play spoiler with a depleted roster that featured the newly permanent absence of Brandon Belt. But while their injury-ravaged offense kept them in the game, their bullpen was unable to preserve a late tie, conceding two runs in the eighth inning after retiring the first two Cardinals batters. That rally would be the difference, as the Redbirds finished the Giants off in the ninth to earn a 5-3 win.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 after Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the first with a single and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s base hit to left. In the third, after Evan Longoria’s two-out double, Cardinals starter John Gant walked three consecutive Giants batters to force Longoria in and tie the game at one.
The Cardinals added a run each in the fifth and sixth to go up 3-1, but the Giants struck back in the seventh against rookie Jordan Hicks. Gregor Blanco fought off a 102.4 mph sinker into left to score Austin Slater, and Evan Longoria muscled a groundout to first, driving in Alen Hanson and tying the game at 3.
In the eighth, Mark Melancon entered and retired Jedd Gyorko and Yadier Molina, but walked the speedy Harrison Bader and conceded a single to Yairo Munoz. Tony Watson entered the game, and Matt Adams doubled down the left-field line, scoring Bader and Munoz to give the Cardinals the 5-3 edge.
Converted starter Carlos Martinez slammed the door shut in the ninth to seal the Cardinals victory.