McCutchen”s RBI single in 7th lifts Giants past Cards 3-2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI single to drive in Hunter Pence from second base in the seventh inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Pablo Sandoval homered, Buster Posey singled twice and Brandon Crawford scored on a wild pitch to help the Giants’ slumping offense break out.

Pence reached on a pinch-hit single off John Brebbia (1-2) leading off the seventh. After Alen Hanson sacrificed Pence to second and Posey was intentionally walked, McCutchen pushed a 2-2 pitch into left field to drive in the go-ahead run.

Reyes Moronta (5-1) retired one batter to earn the win. Will Smith pitched the ninth for his third save.

Kolton Wong had two hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals.

It was a back-and-forth game most of the night. After Wong’s RBI double in the second gave the Cardinals an early lead, the Giants tied it in the bottom of the inning without a hit. Crawford and Sandoval walked. Crawford took third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch.

Sandoval ended an 0-for-11 funk with his opposite-field home run off St. Louis starter Jon Gant in the sixth.

Wong’s RBI triple tied it at 2, but Moronta struck out Harrison Bader to strand Wong at third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: SS Paul DeJong was activated off the disabled list before the game after missing 45 games with a fracture in his left hand. DeJong had not missed a game this season before getting hurt. To make room, LHP Austin Gomber was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

Giants: 2B Joe Panik was removed from the game with a strained left groin after going from first to third on Gorkys Hernandez’s double in the fourth. … Evan Longoria could begin swinging off a tee and taking grounders by the end of the weekend, less than three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand. Longoria is on pace to rejoin the team in the first week of August.

UP NEXT

St. Louis RHP Carlos Martinez (5-4, 3.20 ERA) goes for his third consecutive win Saturday. Martinez pitched two-hit ball over nine innings, but left with no decision the last time he faced the Giants on May 20, 2017. RHP Jeff Samardzija (1-4, 6.56) will come off the disabled list to pitch for San Francisco in his first start since May 29.

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