SAN FRANCISCO — The way the Cardinals have played at the beginning of this season has left them with virtually no margin for error. One small mistake seems to lead to much bigger problems.
That was the case again on Monday night when an error by Tommy Edman in a scoreless game in the seventh inning led to a four-run inning that gave the Giants the win in the opener of a four-game series against the Cardinals in San Francisco.
The error was followed by a double and an intentional walk before a sacrifice fly and a three-run homer by J.D. Davis off Drew VerHagen, who had relieved Jordan Montgomey following the error.
The loss kept the Cardinals winless in their first game of all eight series they have played so far this season.
The shutout by Alex Cobb was the first thrown by a Giants pitcher against the Cardinals in San Francisco since Shawn Estes shut them out on May 23, 1997.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals had only one hit through the first four innings, a one-out double by Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth … They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the fifth, but Lars Nootbaar grounded out to end the inning … Cobb got 17 of his 27 outs on ground balls … Brendan Donovan had two of the Cardinals’ six hits. He had entered the game just 3-of-24 on the road this season.
On the mound: Montgomery got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first and then stranded two more runners in the second, then allowed just one more hit and two base-runners until Edman’s error on the lead-off hitter in the seventh … Montgomery was charged with the loss on the unearned run, which he left on base and scored after VerHagen relieved … Jordan Hicks allowed an infield single in the eighth before ending the inning with two strikeouts.
Key stat: The only other time in franchise history that the Cardinals lost the first game of their first eight series of the season was in 1988.
Worth noting: Nolan Arenado got the night off after getting just three hits in 22 at-bats over his last six games. Arenado has hit just two home runs this season, one in his last 60 plate appearances, with his last home run coming on April 12 … Donovan got the start at third base, with Edman making his first start of the year at second … Adam Wainwright is scheduled to throw about 75 pitches in his second rehab start for Double-A Springfield on Tuesday night in Wichita, which would line him up to return to the starting rotation either Sunday in Los Angeles or on May 2 when the Cardinals return home from the West Coast.
Looking ahead: Jake Woodford will get the start onTuesday night in the second game of the four-game series.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains.
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