SAN FRANCISCO — The Cardinals had a chance to climb back to the .500 mark on Wednesday if they could beat the Giants and complete their first sweep of a series in San Francisco since 1993.
An ugly problem that has plagued the team all season — walks — returned however and knocked starter Johan Oviedo out of the game early and sent the Giants to the win.
Oviedo walked the first two hitters he faced, setting the tone for the night. The Cardinals pitchers combined to walk eight Giants, two of whom came around to score.
A run in the eighth pulled the Cardinals within 3-2 but Justin Miller gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth that sealed the Giants' victory, 5-2.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: After an RBI double from Nolan Arenado in the first, the Cardinals were held to just two hits until Matt Carpenter led off the eighth with a double. He went to third on a single by Dylan Carlson and scored on a single by Paul Goldschmidt. With the potential tying run on second, Arenado hit into an inning-ending double play … Carlson had two hits, the only Cardinal with a multiple-hit game.
On the mound: Oviedo fell to 0-5 for the season and 0-8 in his career as his streak without a win reached 16 starts. He worked four innings, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks … Brandon Waddell issued back-to-back walks in the fifth, the first coming around to score on a double.
Key stat: This was the 36th time the Cardinals scored two or fewer runs in their 88 games this season.
Worth noting: Carlos Martinez returned to St. Louis on Wednesday for more medical evaluations after it was determined he had a torn ligament in his right thumb, suffered when he was batting last weekend in Colorado. The Cardinals had been hopeful the injury was only a bruise, but determined it was more serious than that. Martinez was placed on the injured list but manager Mike Shildt said Martinez will be out a significant length of time. The injury means that only one of the five starters who began this season in the Cardinals rotation is still there, Adam Wainwright … Lars Nootbaar, who had been with the team on the taxi squad, was added to the roster … Former Cardinal John Nogowski, traded to the Pirates after he had been designated for assignment, had four hits on Wednesday and is now 6-of-11 since the trade.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will spend Thursday’s day off in Chicago before opening a three-game series on Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field that will take them to the All-Star break. Wade LeBlanc will get the start in the opener.