Goldschmidt hits 2 HRs, Cardinals lose to Giants

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mitch Haniger scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning following a dropped fly ball by Cardinals center fielder Lars Nootbaar as the San Francisco Giants beat St. Louis 7-3 on Wednesday night.

That helped the Giants overcome a big night from Paul Goldschmidt, who had two home runs and four hits. He extended his on-base streak at Oracle Park to 28 games, tied for the 10th longest streak in stadium history. It was the 24th multi-homer game for the seven-time All-Star, whose 15 home career home runs at the waterfront ballpark are also the most by an opponent.

But the Cardinals first baseman grounded into a game-ending double play against Giants closer Camilo Doval.

“We’re not playing good enough to win,” Goldschmidt said. “That’s just what’s happening. There’s no excuses. We’re doing everything we can to play better but it hasn’t been good enough so far.”

LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores homered for San Francisco, which has won five consecutive games overall on this homestand after dropping the first two to the New York Mets. Wade also had an RBI triple in the eighth.

“Early in the season we weren’t getting the job done,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “We knew that our pitching staff was performing well but they were giving up home runs and that was causing games to go in the other direction. Things have turned the other way. And a lot of that is just getting healthy and our true talent emerging here in the last five games or so.”

Haniger started the winning rally with a one-out bloop single off Jordan Hicks (0-2) and moved to third when Nootbaar dropped Wilmer Flores’ fly ball for a two-out error. Haniger then scored on a wild pitch by Hicks to put the Giants ahead 3-2.

“We get a dropped ball there, it’s unfortunate,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s just a different guy every night and it’s been unfortunate in the timing of it. I don’t think we’re losing the same way every time, and that’s more of the frustration.”

Two innings after Haniger scored the deciding run, Flores hit a two-run home run off Zack Thompson. Anthony DeSclafani (2-1) allowed both of Goldschmidt’s home runs but had six strikeouts in six strong innings to win for San Francisco.

“ We’re on a good run, pitching good and getting our hits and putting up some runs,” DeSclafani said. “It just shows, it’s still April, it’s early. You can easily go on a run and get right back in it.”

Tristan Beck and Tyler Rogers retired three batters apiece. Sean Hjelle set down one in the ninth but left after allowing Paul DeJong’s RBI double. Doval got the final two outs for his third save.

St. Louis led 2-0 after Goldschmidt’s two home runs that included a 425-foot drive to center that was his longest of the season.

The Cardinal’s first baseman chalked up his success in San Francisco to nothing more than coincidence.

“Stuff like that’s kind of unexplainable,” Goldschmidt said. “There’s places that maybe you struggle or do well, or certain pitchers that you can’t figure out how to get a hit off of and other guys you do. So I don’t really know how to explain any of that. I don’t pay much attention to it. For me every day is a blank slate. Just try to prepare to the best of my ability.”

The Giants trimmed the lead in half on Wade’s leadoff homer in the fourth then tied it later in the inning on Austin Slater’s two-out RBI single. That scored Blake Sabol, who had a walkoff home run a night earlier.

Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed two runs and six hits in four innings but remains winless this season.

CARDS SEND TOP PROSPECT TO MINORS

Promising St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday following a 7-for-35 slide in his last 10 games. … IF Taylor Motter, who had been designated for assignment on Sunday and outrighted to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, cleared waivers and was signed to a major league contract.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: OF Mike Yastrzemski was scratched from the starting lineup due to left oblique tightness. … SS Brandon Crawford was held out of the lineup due to match-up issues.

UP NEXT

Struggling ace Logan Webb (1-4, 4.40 ERA), coming off his first win of the season when he had eight strikeouts against the Mets, starts for the Giants on Thursday. Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (0-1, 7.46 ERA) goes for his third win in four career starts against San Francisco.

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