By Jeremy Kahn

Before Tim Hudson even reached the mound for the bottom of the first inning, his teammates gave him a hefty lead and they never looked back.

Joaquin Arias, playing first base after Michael Morse was scratched after hitting a ball off of his foot in batting practice, hit a two-run single and the San Francisco Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0 at Busch Stadium.

This was the Giants fifth win in their last six games and raising their record to a major league best 37-20, while the Cardinals continue to slump after losing four out of their last five.

Hudson allowed just three hits, striking out six and walking just two in seven innings of work, as he raised his record to 6-2 on the season and his earned run average now stands at a mind boggling 1.75, good for second best in the National League.

Buster Posey returned to the lineup after missing the lasty three games with stiffness in his back, and picked up three hits in his first game since Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Park against the Chicago Cubs.

It was not a good day for Cardinals starter Lance Lynn at all, as he gave up seven runs on eight hits in just three and one-third innings of work.

The Giants got to Lynn in the first inning, as Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Posey singled consecutively to put the visitors on the board afer just three batters.

Gregor Blanco then reached on an error by Kolten Wong, Pence then scored on a groundout, Brandon Hicks then walked to load the bases and then Arias drove in two with a single.

The lead grew to 5-0 in the top of the third inning, as Arias singled for the second time in as many at-bats, Pagan made it 6-0 after a fielders’s choice to score Hicks.

Crawford made it 7-0 after a ground-rule double that scored Posey in the top of the fourth inning, and then Blanco closed out the scoring with a triple in the top of the sixth inning that scored Pablo Sandoval.