Friday’s Game Report: Giants 8, Cardinals 2
By Rob Rains
Michael McGreevy’s task on Friday night was to try to find a way to slow down a red-hot Giants offense that came into the game having scored 70 runs in their last eight games.
Nine pitches into the game, McGreevy and the Cardinals trailed 2-0. The night didn’t get any better after that as the Giants added a four-run fourth inning en route to the victory at Busch Stadium.
Rafael Devers and Willy Adames provided the runs for the Giants in the first with back-to-back homers.
McGreevy had arguably been the best starter for the Cardinals since moving into the rotation in late July, going 5-1 in his eight starts, but gave up nine hits and came out of the game after the fourth inning, his shortest outing of the season.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals did not have a hit until Jimmy Crooks singled leading off the fifth. He came around to score on a two-out single by Victor Scott II … The only other hits for the Cardinals were an infield single by Nolan Gornan in the sixth, a single by Thomas Saggese in the seventh and a solo home run from Ivan Herrera in the eighth, his 14th of the season … Jordan Walker was 0-of-4 and is hitless in his last 22 at-bats.
On the mound: The Giants pounded out 18 hits off McGreevy and four relievers. They scored their final two runs against Ryan Fernandez in the seventh.
Key stat: The two first-inning homers off McGreevy were the 29th and 30th allowed by the Cardinals in the first this season, tying them with the Rockies for the most homers allowed in the first inning in the NL this season.
Worth noting: The six-game suspension for Willson Contreras was reduced to four games after his appeal and he began serving that suspension on Friday night … Yohel Pozo was activated from the concussion list and Cesar Prieto was optioned to Memphis … With Contreras suspended and Alec Burleson on the injured list, Nolan Gorman made his first career start at first base. Gorman had played six innings at first this season in a reserve role … Nolan Arenado is going to work out with the team this weekend and barring a setback with his shoulder he is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday … Edgar Renteria, Al Hrabosky and the late Walt Jocketty will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Saturday at Ballpark Village.
Up next: Andre Pallante will get the start on Saturday night in the second game of the series. Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is scheduled to start for the Giants.
