SAN FRANCISCO — Jack Flaherty still has not won a game since May 14, but he certainly pitched well enough to deserve a victory in the Cardinals’ game on Sunday in San Francisco.
Flaherty carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Evan Longoria homered with one out to produce the only run of the game in the Giants’ win.
After failing to get past the fifth inning in his two most recent starts, Flaherty retired the first 12 Giants in order before issuing a leadoff walk in the fifth. He then got seven more outs in a row before Longoria’s homer.
Flaherty has now made nine starts since his last win, and has gone 0-3 with six no-decisions in those games.
The Cardinals enter the All-Star break with a 44-44 record, two games out of first in the NL Central.
At the plate: The Cardinals did not have a hit until Yairo Munoz singled with two outs in the fifth … They finished with six hits but stranded four runners in scoring position in getting shut out for the seventh time … Paul Goldschmidt was robbed of an extra-base hit on a diving catch by Kevin Pillar in the seventh inning but singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to seven games … They were 0-of-5 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound: Flaherty also allowed a single following Longoria’s homer and finished the game with just the two hits allowed in seven innings with one walk and six strikeouts … The 6 1/3 innings was the longest start by a Cardinals pitcher this season without allowing a hit … John Gant got a double play following a walk in the eighth … It was only the second time the Cardinals have allowed two hits in a game in San Francisco since 1978.
Key stat: Flaherty’s streak of nine consecutive starts without a win is the longest by a Cardinals’ pitcher since Michael Wacha did not get a win in 10 consecutive starts in 2016. He was 0-7 in those starts.
Worth noting: It was the first time the Cardinals lost 1-0 in San Francisco with the only run coming on a home run since July 3, 1986. Randy Kutcher hit the homer in the sixth inning off Rick Ownbey … Yadier Molina was out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game while resting his sore thumb … Kolten Wong also did not make the start after fouling a ball off his leg in Saturday night’s game … The Cardinals promoted their second pick in this year’s draft, outfielder Tre Fletcher, from the GCL Cardinals to Johnson City on Sunday.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will be off until Friday when they will open a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
