ST. LOUIS (AP) – Mike Yastrzemski is comfortable at the plate with the game on the line and he showed it on Wednesday.
Yastrzemski hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Thairo Estrada had the go-ahead single in 10th, and the San Francisco Giants rallied to complete a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with an 8-5 victory.
“The kind of thought process is, I-ve struck out plenty of times in my life, like one more doesn-t change anything,” Yastrzemski said. “So, there’s a calmness in that.”
Yastrzemski’s shot, which came on a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning off Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos, made it 5-5. The Cardinals extended their skid to five games and fell to a season-worst 15 games under .500. It was the third blown save of the season for Gallegos.
“We just dont execute,” Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “This has nothing to do with the coaches, it has to do with the players and as players we dont execute.”
The late offensive spark lifted the Giants’ winning streak to four games.
“Nobody we’d rather have up in those kind of moments because his heartbeat is so slow,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said of Yastrzemski. “You know he’s going to be totally prepared for the moment. Nothings going to be too big for him and hes going to get a good swing off. Not always going to end like that, but obviously weve seen him with some pretty big home runs over the last couple of years.”
Estrada’s single scored Yastrzemski, who was the automatic runner at second base. Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with RBI singles off Steven Matz (0-7).
“We just have to play better,” Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner said. “Theres a lot of things that don’t go our way, but you usually can fight through that stuff when youre playing good baseball.”
Tommy Edman’s second career grand slam gave the Cardinals a 4-2 lead in the second inning and Jordan Walker added an RBI single in the third as St. Louis chased Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani after just three innings.
But the San Francisco bullpen shut the door from there as five relievers combined for seven scoreless innings. Tyler Rogers (1-4) got the win with a perfect ninth inning and Camilo Doval earned his 18th save in 19 opportunities.
“Those guys are a grindy group and I have faith in every single one of them,” Yastrzemski said. “So, it’s really cool when they have that moment to kind of step up and do what they do. And it’s not easy for them to mentally stay in when we go down early like that and to keep us in the game. Thats probably the biggest thing that allows us to come back there.”
Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings, allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out seven.
Highly touted rookie Luis Matos made his debut for the Giants in center and singled in his first major league at-bat as part of a two-run first inning. Estrada and Patrick Bailey had RBI singles during the rally.
“I had a little bit of nerves, just a little bit not that much, but at the same time since I saw the team in spring training that kind of helped me get more comfortable,” Matos said through an interpreter.
Yastrzemski ended Montgomery’s day with an RBI single in the seventh to make it 5-3 and start the Giants rally.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-3, 4.02 ERA) kicks off a three-game series on Friday night at New York against the Mets. Mikolas is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Mets. The Game can be heard on KTLO 1240Am friday evening with Ameran Total Access kicking off at 5:50.
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