SAN FRANCISCO — Five batters into Saturday night’s game, the Cardinals found themselves losing 4-1. The rest of the night did not get any better.
Wilmer Flores hit a first-inning grand slam off Steven Matz, who then allowed a pair of two-run homers in the second inning, sending the Giants to the win in San Francisco and snapping the Cardinals’ three-game winning streak.
Flores finished with six RBIs, becoming the first player in the modern era to record six RBIs in a game against the Cardinals when he had only one hit.
The eight runs equaled the most that Matz has allowed in 142 career starts in the major leagues.
The Cardinals also committed three errors and walked in a run and forced in another on a hit batter with the bases loaded.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals actually had a productive night on offense with their seven runs on 14 hits, although 12 of them were singles. Dylan Carlson’s three-run homer, his first of the year, pulled the Cardinals within 9-7 in the seventh before the Giants put the game away in the eighth … Paul DeJong had his first two-hit game of the season, with each hit driving in a run … DeJong had gone 2-of-30 in his previous nine games … Harrison Bader had a three-hit night … One of the runs scored on an RBI single by Yadier Molina, the 1,000th RBI of his career … Juan Yepez had two more hits, giving him seven in his first four games.
On the mound: Matz retired only six of the 15 hitters he faced, and the three home runs also tied for the most he has allowed in a game in his career … Jake Woodford gave up an unearned run, one run scored off Nick Wittgren and Kodi Whitley walked four consecutive batters before T.J. McFarland hit one with the bases loaded as the Giants capped off the big win with three runs in the eighth without a hit, also getting a sacrifice fly in the inning.
Key stat: DeJong matched his RBI total for his previous 49 at-bats, spanning his last 15 games.
Worth noting: Flores could have had an even bigger night as three of his at-bats came with the bases loaded. Following the grand slam he hit a sacrifice fly and drew the bases-loaded walk in the eighth … The grand slam was the first by the Giants against the Cardinals in the first inning at home since they moved to San Francisco …The errors were committed by Tommy Edman, DeJong and Molina, with the errors by DeJong and Molina coming on consecutive plays in the fourth, costing the Cardinals a run … Jack Flaherty threw a 30-pitch bullpen session as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury. How he recovers from will determine the next step on his progression to return to the rotation … Nolan Gorman hit his 12th home run of the year on Saturday night for Memphis.
Looking ahead: Dakota Hudson will get the start on Sunday in the final game of the series.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains.
