If you wanted one highlight to recap Saturday’s Giants-Cardinals game, it happened in the seventh inning.
With two outs and a runner on first, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit a fly ball to deep center. Giants centerfielder Austin Slater was perfectly positioned under it, but couldn’t see it. With the sun beating down on him, Slater tried to shield his eyes to no avail. The ball hit the ground right next to him, and by the time it was back in the infield, Edmundo Sosa had scored from first to give St. Louis a 3-0 lead.
It was a play Slater will want to forget, on a day the Giants will also want to forget.
Adding insult to injury, Nolan Arenado doubled off John Brebbia in the next at-bat, giving the Cardinals a 4-0 lead, a score that would stand for the remainder of Saturday’s game at Busch Stadium. The loss ends the Giants’ win streak at six games, and is only the second time they’ve been shutout this season.
Saturday’s contest was relatively uneventful, especially regarding the Giants offense. After scoring 7 or more runs in five of their last six games, SF couldn’t manage one on Saturday, shut down thanks to well-located pitches by Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2K) and the STL bullpen. The Giants also went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and spoiled a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity when Brandon Belt hit into a double play in the seventh. SF was only outhit 9 to 8 in the game, but had nothing to show for it.
Giants spot starter Jakob Junis was decent in his own right (5.2 IP 6 H 2 ER 1 BB 3 K) but not good enough to survive without any run support.
Junis could feel hard done by Tommy Edman’s solo shot in the fifth inning, one that came on a pretty good 2-2 slider. Good hitting beats good pitching, however, and Edman golfed the low and inside pitch for a shot into the Cardinals bullpen, one that would’ve left 24 of the 30 major league parks.
Junis was more at fault for the run he gave up in the second, which began with a Yadier Molina double on a sinker in the middle of the zone. Junis left another pitch over the plate to Brendan Donovan two batters later, his double knocking in Molina from third.
The departure of one second baseman — Mauricio Dubon was traded pregame to the Houston Astros — also saw the debut of another. Donovan Walton got his first start with the Giants since being acquired in a trade with the Mariners earlier this week. Walton batted eighth and got his first hit in Orange and Black, a two-strike double in the seventh.
It was the lone highlight for the Giants who will hope they have a few more when they attempt to take the series on Sunday night.