Pillar belts winning homer as Giants outlast Cardinals

[September 05, 2019]  Kevin Pillar hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to rally the visiting San Francisco Giants past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 Wednesday night.

The Cardinals erased 4-0 and 7-4 deficits in the see-saw marathon, but the Giants persisted while pounding out 15 hits against seven Cardinals pitchers.

The loss reduced the Cardinals' lead in the National League Central to 2 1/2 games over the second-place Chicago Cubs, who were idle Wednesday.

Tyler Rogers (1-0), the fourth of six Giants pitchers, earned the victory. Closer Will Smith got the final four outs to earn his 31st save.

Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner allowed six runs in five-plus innings, giving up nine hits, walking one and striking out two.

Brandon Crawford hit a three-run homer for the Giants and Mike Yastrzemski hit a solo shot. Pillar also had an RBI single.

Paul Goldschmidt had a double, a triple and four RBIs to pace the Cardinals.

The Cardinals used six relievers behind starter Michael Wacha, who worked two scoreless innings on just three days' rest. He gave up two hits, struck out two and walked one. Giovanny Gallegos (3-2) allowed Pillar's decisive homer and took the loss.

The Giants took their 4-0 lead in the third inning. Yastrzemski hit a solo homer, Brandon Belt scored on a wild pitch, and Pillar and Corban Joseph hit run-scoring singles.

Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals got one run back on Dexter Fowler's RBI infield single in the third inning and another in the fourth on Paul DeJong's solo homer, his 25th.

Goldschmidt's triple tied the game 4-4 in the fifth, but Crawford's three-run homer off Dominic Leone put the Giants up 7-4 in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals took an 8-7 lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth with Tommy Edman's RBI triple, Harrison Bader's sacrifice fly and Goldschmidt's two-run double.

But Pillar answered with his two-run blast in the eighth.

Before the game, the Giants added Jaylin Davis, a top outfielder prospect, to their roster from Triple-A Sacramento. Davis started Wednesday and got his first big league hit.

--Field Level Media

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