Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to lead the host St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
The victory snapped San Francisco’s five-game winning streak. The two play for the series win on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants, who had won eight of 10 going into Saturday, came out of the All-Star break with a 7-2 win over the Cardinals on Friday night.
Goldschmidt’s home run broke open a close game as the Cardinals came into the sixth holding a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals opened the scoring when Tyler O’Neill led off the second with a home run to right.
In the sixth, Dylan Carlson led off with a double to deep left-center and then came home on Goldschmidt’s homer to right.
Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani (10-4) was pulled in the seventh for a pinch-hitter after going six innings, giving up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Kwang Hyun Kim (5-5) went six strong innings for the Cardinals, giving up just three hits with one strikeout. Kim has not allowed a run in his past three starts, throwing 19 consecutive shutout innings.
He held the Giants to three hits over seven innings in his previous start in San Francisco on July 5.
The Giants did not get on the board until Kim was out of the game.
Reliever Ryan Helsley walked Wilmer Flores to lead off the seventh. Flores moved to second on a passed ball then scored on a Steven Duggar single with one out.
That was it for the Giants, who were held to six hits in the game.
St. Louis closer Alex Reyes came on in the ninth and, after allowing a lead-off single to Flores and walking Brandon Crawford, got the next three for his 21st save.
–Field Level Media