CORRECTS TO SEVENTH INNING NOT FIRST INNING – St. Louis Cardinals’ Tommy Edman, center, is congratulated by teammates Harrison Bader, left, and Nolan Arenado, right, after scoring on a triple hit by Matt Carpenter against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Monday, July 5, 2021.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Carpenter listed off so many positives from St. Louis on Monday: a gem from Kwang Hyun Kim, the patience finally getting to Giants All-Star Kevin Gausman, to holding off a potential comeback at the end.
The Cardinals star tried not to add any extra significance to his at-bat that changed the game in the seventh.
Kim pitched seven scoreless innings, Carpenter hit a two-run triple in the seventh for the first runs of the game and St. Louis snapped San Francisco’s three-game winning streak by beating the Giants 5-3.
“Today was just what we kind of have always expected the kind of club we have,” Carpenter said. “It was good starting pitching by KK, he really threw the ball well, and tough, competitive at-bats by a really good starting pitcher. The guy took a no-hitter into the top of the seventh and really just painting and not making any mistakes and we found a way to scratch against him.”
Kim (3-5) allowed three hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Donovan Solano and Steven Duggar hit RBI singles in the ninth against Alex Reyes, but San Francisco’s comeback bid fell short.
Gausman didn’t allow a hit until Nolan Arenado’s one-out single in the seventh that started a two-run rally in what had been a scoreless game. After Yadier Molina struck out, Tommy Edman singled before Carpenter’s triple.
