Cardinals 7, Giants 5
SAN FRANCISCO -- The St. Louis Cardinals hit three home runs, including a game-opening shot by Matt Carpenter, in a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday that gave them a 2-1 series win over the defending World Series champions.
Left-hander Jaime Garcia survived 10 Giants hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the 10th time in his last 15 road starts, helping the first-place Cardinals (84-46) increase their lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates (79-50) in the National League Central to 4 1/2 games.
The Cardinals and Pirates meet in a showdown series in St. Louis later this week.
The Giants, meanwhile, lost their second in a row to complete a 3-3 homestand. They head to Los Angeles to square off with the first-place Dodgers (72-56) in a three-game series beginning Monday night. The Giants (69-61) left the field Sunday trailing Los Angeles by four games, pending the outcome of the Dodgers' night game against the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals roughed up Giants rookie right-hander Chris Heston for three runs within the first four batters of the game and never looked back, completing a 7-3 Western swing that began with a pair of losses at San Diego.
Carpenter got the high-powered offensive show rolling with his 20th homer of the season on Heston's second pitch of the game. The home run as the Cardinals' first batter of the game was Carpenter's fifth of the season and ninth of his career.
Left fielder Brandon Moss and first baseman Mark Reynolds hit solo home runs for the Cardinals, who collected 13 hits against six Giants pitchers. Moss' homer was his second since joining St. Louis, while Reynolds hit his 12th of the year.
St. Louis right fielder Jason Heyward had three hits, including an RBI triple in the three-run first and a double in the third.
Catcher Yadier Molina drove in Heyward twice, with a single in the first and a double in the third.
Carpenter added a double, one of seven extra-base hits for the Cardinals.
Heston (11-8), who hadn't pitched since Aug. 17 while given an in-season breather, gave up five runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He recorded one strikeout and did not walk a batter.
Staked to a 6-2 lead, Garcia (7-4) pitched into the seventh inning, leaving with one on and one out in a 6-4 game.
Right-hander Steve Cishek came on to induce Giants third baseman Matt Duffy to ground into his second double play to end the inning.
The Cardinals then added an insurance run in the eighth on a two-out RBI single by shortstop Greg Garcia, scoring second baseman Kolten Wong.
Like Heston, Garcia recorded no walks and one strikeout.
Right fielder Marlon Byrd drove in four of the Giants' five runs with two doubles and a triple.
The triple came in the bottom of the eighth against the third Cardinals pitcher, right-hander Jonathan Broxton, and got the Giants within 7-5. However, Broxton struck out Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson with one out and Byrd on third base, then caught center fielder Gregor Blanco looking on a full count to end the threat.
Left-hander Kevin Siegrist recorded his sixth save of the season, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth.
First baseman Brandon Belt had four singles, and catcher Buster Posey added three hits for the Giants, who totaled 12 hits.
Byrd's doubles, both off the right field wall, followed consecutive hits by Belt and Posey in the first and sixth innings. His first double drove in both baserunners and got the Giants within 3-2 in the last of the first. His second double, which scored Belt, made it 6-3 in the sixth.
Tomlinson got San Francisco within 6-4 later in the inning with an infield out that plated Posey.
NOTES: Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn announced before the game that his sprained right ankle is much improved and he will make his next scheduled start Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lynn was hurt in the eighth inning of Saturday's win. ... Cardinals RHP Matt Belisle (inflammation in right elbow) threw a pain-free simulated inning in the bullpen Sunday. He missed his 58th consecutive game. ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford (tightness in left oblique) took batting practice before the game and hopes to be back in the starting lineup Monday for the opener of a key three-game series against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. Crawford missed the final five games of the Giants' just completed homestand. ... Giants RHP Tim Lincecum (degenerative hip) disclosed before the game that he could miss the rest of the season because of continuing problems in his hip. He hasn't pitched since June 27.