San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score on May 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 21, 2017

ST. LOUIS -- Randal Grichuk knocked in four runs and Adam Wainwright pitched into the seventh inning Sunday for his fourth straight win as the St. Louis Cardinals walloped the San Francisco Giants 8-3.

Grichuk started the scoring with a three-run double in the bottom of the second inning, then finished it with a ground-rule double to left-center field in the eighth. He led St. Louis' 12-hit attack that handed Matt Cain (3-2) his sixth loss in eight career decisions against the Cardinals.

Cain, who entered the day with a 7.62 career ERA at Busch Stadium, did nothing to improve that stat. In 5 1/3 innings, he yielded nine hits and seven runs, walking three and striking out one.

Wainwright drove his mound opponent to cover with an RBI double in the sixth that scored Aledmys Diaz for a 7-1 lead. Wainwright (4-3) also turned in his second straight quality start, allowing one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts.

St. Louis (22-19) snapped a season-high four-game losing streak and handed San Francisco (19-26) just its second loss in nine games. The Giants were denied their first road sweep of the year.

Christian Arroyo's RBI double in the third cut San Francisco's deficit to 4-1, but Matt Carpenter responded in the fifth with his ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot into the Cardinals' bullpen to make it 6-1. Carpenter is 9-for-18 with two homers in his career against Cain.

The Giants cut their deficit to 7-3 in the eighth when Brandon Crawford and Eduardo Nunez connected for back-to-back solo homers off Miguel Socolovich. It was San Francisco's second set of back-to-back homers this year, stretching its current streak of solo blasts to 15.

But Grichuk's fourth RBI of the game, which plated Diaz in the eighth, ended any thoughts of a dramatic Giants rally.

Diaz doubled twice and scored three runs for St. Louis.

NOTES: San Francisco INF Aaron Hill (right forearm strain) had his rehab stint transferred to Triple-A Sacramento from Class A San Jose on Saturday and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in his first appearance for the Rivercats. ... St. Louis 2B Kolten Wong (left elbow discomfort), who left Saturday night's game in the fourth inning, didn't start Sunday. Greg Garcia replaced him in the lineup. ... Giants INF Conor Gillaspie (back spasms) went 1-for-4 Saturday night in his second rehab game with Sacramento.