By MATT PIKE
Alec Burleson hit a go-ahead RBI single with one out in the ninth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied against San Francisco closer Ryan Walker for a 9-8 win over the Giants on Tuesday night at Oracle Park as both teams were fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but San Francisco was eliminated.
The Cardinals built an early lead in the first inning. Burleson singled in the opening inning to drive in Donovan after his first double led off the game. Nolan Arenado grounded into a double play extending the lead scoring Iván Herrera, before later in the inning Thomas Saggese drove in the final run of the frame with an RBI single scoring Lars Nootbaar.
Down 3-0, the Giants rallied in the third when Patrick Bailey and Christian Koss scored on Arenado's wild throw home after fielding a grounder by Heliot Ramos. Willy Adames hit an RBI single to tie the game, driving in Drew Gilbert, then Matt Chapman added a go-ahead sacrifice fly scoring Ramos before Jung Ho Lee's RBI single to bring home Adames capped a five run frame for the Giants in the third inning.
San Francisco added two more runs in the fifth inning with an RBI double by Bailey, scoring Chapman, and an RBi single from Koss driving in Bailey, before Ramos homered in the sixth inning to finish off the Giants scoring for the night. In the seventh inning, Herrera hit a three-run homer and Arenado added a solo home run to pull the Cardinals within one run.
Donovan drove in the tying run with his fourth double of the night after Victor Scott hit a leadoff single in the ninth inning before Burleson hit the RBI single to drive in Donovan for what would be the winning run.
Matt Svanson pitched the eighth for the win, improving to 4-0 on the season out of the bullpen, before JoJo Romero recorded the first two outs of the ninth and left with the tying run on second after Adames doubled. Riley O'Brien entered and struck out Wilmer Flores for his sixth save.
At the plate, Donovan was 4-for-5 with four doubles and an RBI. Donovan's four doubles were a career best. Herrera was 2-for-4 with the home run and three RBI's, also walking once, while Arenado was 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI.
Next up St. Louis and San Francisco wrap up their three game series on Wednesday. Sonny Gray (14-8, 4.33 ERA) pitches for the Cardinals opposite Robbie Ray (11-8, 3.65) for the Giants in the series finale. First pitch is at 8:45pm with coverage beginning at 8:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.