Longoria's home run vaults Giants over Cardinals

[July 08, 2019]    Evan Longoria capped his best week of the season with a home run in the seventh inning that broke a scoreless tie and lifted the San Francisco Giants to a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) hits a double during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Samardzija (6-7) won a pitchers' duel with Jack Flaherty (4-6) with seven innings of four-hit ball, combining with Sam Dyson and Will Smith on the Giants' first shutout since April and third of the season.

Flaherty, who had struggled to a 7.82 ERA in his previous five starts, retired the first 12 batters he faced and took a no-hitter one out into the seventh before Longoria connected on his 12th homer, a shot to left field.

The homer was Longoria's fifth in six games during a week in which he went 9-for-21 (.429) with 10 RBIs. His average increased from .222 to .238 in the six games.

Flaherty was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth, having allowed just the one run and two hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six.

The 23-year-old right-hander has gone just 1-5 in his last 12 starts.

Samardzija, meanwhile, worked four no-hit innings before stranding a baserunner in scoring position in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

He was pulled after seven, having allowed four hits in his last three innings. In winning for the third time in his last four starts, he struck out two and did not walk a batter.

Dyson worked around a two-out single and stolen base by Tommy Edman in the eighth, before Smith induced Dexter Fowler to hit into a game-ending double play in the ninth after a Paul Goldschmidt single for his 23rd save.

Flaherty had the game's only extra-base hit other than Longoria's homer, a sixth-inning double off Samardzija.

Yairo Munoz had a pair of singles for the Cardinals, who out-hit the Giants 6-2.

The loss completed a 4-5 trip for St. Louis, which will take a 44-44 record into the All-Star break.

Alex Dickerson had the Giants' only other hit, a single that followed Longoria's homer.

The Giants, who beat the Cardinals 8-4 on Saturday, won their third consecutive series and go into the break at 41-48, the first time they've been seven or fewer games under .500 since May 23.

--Field Level Media

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