Cardinals 6, Giants 0
SAN FRANCISCO - Right-hander Lance Lynn beat the San Francisco Giants for the first time in his career Saturday, shutting out the defending World Series champion on six hits before spraining his right ankle in the eighth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-0 victory.
First baseman Brandon Moss ignited a four-run fifth inning with a leadoff triple and catcher Yadier Molina capped the uprising with a two-RBI single as the Cardinals evened their three-game series with the Giants after suffering a 5-4 loss Friday.
A sixth win in seven games allowed St. Louis (83-46) temporarily to increase its lead in the National League Central to four games over the Pittsburgh Pirates (78-49), who played a night game at home against Colorado.
The loss dropped the Giants (69-60) three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (71-56) in the NL West, pending the Dodgers' night matchup with the Chicago Cubs.
Lynn compiled a 6.33 ERA while losing his first four career starts against San Francisco, including a 2-0 setback at the hands of Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants when the clubs met earlier this month in St. Louis.
But it was Lynn (11-8) who pitched the shutout ball this time around, allowing only two Giants to advance into scoring position in his seven-plus innings.
Lynn walked two and struck out two.
The injury occurred when Giants pinch-hitter Juan Perez led off the eighth inning with a dribbler to the right of the mound. Lynn fielded the ball at the bottom of the hill, but turned his right ankle as he pivoted before making a throw.
He was able to walk off under his own power after spending a few minutes on the grass while being examined by the St. Louis trainer. The Cardinals later labeled the injury minor.
The St. Louis bullpen took over from there, with left-hander Randy Choate and righties Seth Maness and Sam Tuivailala combining for two innings of one-hit ball.
Vogelsong (9-10), who limited the Cardinals to two hits over six innings when he faced them Aug. 18, matched shutout innings with Lynn until the fateful fifth.
Moss led off the inning with a triple, and scored when third baseman Matt Carpenter's one-hopper eluded Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson, who was playing up in an attempt to cut off the run. Carpenter was credited with a hit.
Rookie left fielder Stephen Piscotty's second of his career-high four hits put two Cardinals aboard, and both moved up a base on shortstop Jhonny Peralta's infield out.
The Giants elected to pitch around Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward, walking him on four pitches to load the bases, before reliever George Kontos uncorked a wild pitch that scored Carpenter to make it 2-0.
Molina followed with a line-drive two-run single to make it a four-run inning.
Vogelsong was charged with all four Cardinals runs. He gave up seven hits and three walks in his 4 2/3 innings, striking out three.
The Cardinals added two insurance runs off the fourth Giants pitcher, Mike Broadway, in the ninth on an RBI triple by Piscotty that scored Carpenter, who had doubled, and a two-out single by Heyward.
Carpenter, Heyward, Molina and second baseman Kolten Wong had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, who outhit the Giants 13-7.
The win was the Cardinals' sixth in nine games on their 10-game Western swing.
San Francisco center fielder Gregor Blanco recorded two singles and shortstop Ehire Adrianza had the Giants' only extra-base hit of the game - a fifth-inning double.
The Giants' loss snapped a three-game win streak.
NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey was not in the starting lineup after he was hit on the left elbow with a fastball from RHP Michael Wacha on Friday. Posey vowed to be back in the lineup for Sunday's series finale. ... The game was the Giants' 22nd straight against an opponent over .500. ... The 2014 National League Championship Series rematch pitted starting pitchers who have suffered from a lack of offensive support this season. The Cardinals averaged 3.14 runs - fifth-lowest in the NL - in RHP Lance Lynn's first 24 starts. Giants RHP Ryan Vogelsong, meanwhile, received a total of six runs of support during his previous six outings. ... Cardinals RHP Trevor Rosenthal witnessed the birth of his second daughter, Adalyn, during Friday's game. The closer will rejoin the team Monday for the start of a nine-game homestand.