Yaz and Wade power Giants to 4-3 win over Cards to split series

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER

LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski both homered and the Giants got solid pitching from spot starter Jakob Junis and four relievers to post a 4-3 win against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday afternoon, earning a split of their four game weekend series.

©DANIEL GLUSKOTER
Mike Yastrzemski (L) is greeted by Joc Pedersen following his go-ahead home run in the sixth inning of the Giants 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday afternoon. The blast proved decisive as San Francisco earned a split of the four game series.

Yastrzemski’s sixth inning splash hit off Cardinals reliever Génesis Cabrera broke a 3-3 tie and proved decisive, with Zach Littell, John Brebbia and Camilo Doval each pitching scoreless innings to preserve the lead with Doval earning his fifth save.

St. Louis jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second on rookie Juan Yepez’s first career home run, a two-run shot
that following Albert Pujols reaching base after being hit in the wrist by Junis on the previous pitch. But the lead wouldn’t last for long as Wade connected for a two-run shot off of Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson in the bottom of the inning, before a sacrifice fly RBI from Yastrzemski after singles by Mauricio Dubon and Curt Casali gave the Giants a 3-2 lead.

Wade’s blast, in just his third game of the year after missing the start of the season with a left knee injury, was measured at 436 feet, the Giants’ second-longest homer of the year. “I was really going up there just trying to put something hard in play,” Wade said. “I was looking to try and get something out over the plate. He’s really good when he gets in on your hands as a lefty, so I wanted to push him out over the plate. I was able to get a pitch to handle, and I was able to do something good with that.”

©DANIEL GLUSKOTER
Jakob Junis delivers a pitch during the Giants win over St. Louis Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park. Junis allowed two runs over five innings in his first start of the season.

The Cardinals would tie it in the sixth against Dominic Leone, who came on after a five inning effort from Junis in his first start of the year. Junis gave up two runs on three hits, and seems to have made a solid impression on San Francisco manage Gabe Kapler. “We see him as a member of our rotation,” Kapler said. “It doesn’t mean it’s always going to be that way, but as of right now, there’s no reason he can’t make another start for us coming up real soon.”

Next up for the Giants is a three game series with the Colorado Rockies coming in to Oracle Park for their first matchup of the long season. Carlos Rodón (3-1, 1.55) is scheduled to take the mound for San Francisco in the opener against Austin Gomber (2-2, 3.58).

GAME NOTES:

San Francisco didn’t have a single batter strike out until Joc Pederson went down against Gallegos in the Giants final at-bat in the eighth inning.

The Giants haven’t won a season series from the Cards since 2014. The two teams have a three-game series coming up in St. Louis this weekend with the teams having split the first four games.

Sunday was the final regular season game in San Francisco for Yadier Molina and Pujols, both of whom are planning on retiring at the end of the season.

About Daniel Gluskoter

Daniel Gluskoter is the Martinez Tribune's national music and sports editor and a Bay Area photojournalist who's work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2008 Presidential campaign as a correspondent for United Press International and has travelled worldwide covering events ranging from numerous Super Bowls and Olympics to Live Aid and the Grammys.

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