The St Louis Cardinals Harrison Bader who beat out an infield RBI single that scored pinch runner Jose Rondon for the go ahead run the seventh inning on Sun Jul 18, 2021 at Busch Stadium in St Louis (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Things did not start off well for the San Francisco Giants and it ended on a squibber up the first base line.

Harrison Bader beat out an infield single that saw John Brebbia just a second late to the base that allowed pinch runner Jose Rondon to score from third base, as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Giants 2-1 at Busch Stadium.

Matt Carpenter led off of the bottom of the seventh inning with a ground-rule double off of Brebbia, and Rondon was called on to run for Carpenter, and he went to third on a Paul DeJong fly out to right field and then scored without a throw on the infield hit by Bader.

The Giants loaded the bases in the top of the first inning against Wade LeBlanc, but the left-hander was able to get Wilmer Flores by striking him out looking and then got out of the jam, when he got Brandon Crawford to fly out for the final out of the inning.

DeJong gave the Cardinals the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit a solo home run off of Johnny Cueto to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

That lead would last all of one-half inning, as Darin Ruf hit an upper deck solo home run to tie up the game for the Giants.

Once again, the Giants loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning, as Donovan Solano singled to lead off the inning, then Mike Yastrzemski followed it up with a single of his own that sent Solano to third base. Ryan Helsley then came on to replace LeBlanc, and was able to get Lamonte Wade, Jr., to strikeout for the first out and then Wilmer Flores flew out to centerfield and it was not deep enough for Solano to score from third base.

Helsley then walked Crawford intentionally and then Mike Tauchman was not able to relive his magic of his grand slam against the Texas Rangers on June 8, as he struck out to end the inning and stranded the bases loaded.

Cueto ended up going five innings, allowing just one run on two hits, walking one and striking out five and he did not fare in the decision.

When Cueto got Bader to fly out to Austin Slater for the first out in the bottom of the third inning after DeJong hit his 13th home run of the season, it gave Cueto 2,000 career innings and he became the eighth active pitcher to join that elusive club.

LeBlanc, like Cueto also went five innings, as he allowed one run on five hits, walking and struck out three before giving way the bullpen.

Genesis Cabrera won his second game of the season, as he pitched the seventh inning, walking one and striking out two.

Despite allowing two walks to the first two batters of the top of the ninth inning, Alex Reyes was able to regroup to get the next three batters to end the game and pickup his 22nd save for the victorious Cardinals, who won four of six this season over the Giants.

NOTES: Cueto became the seventh pitcher born in the Dominican Republic to reach the 2,000 career inning milestone, joining Juan Marichal (3,507.1), Bartolo Colon (3,461.2), Pedro Martinez (2,827.1), Ervin Santana (2,461.0), Pedro Astacio (2,196.2) and Joaquin Andujar (2,153.0).

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will return to the team and take the ball in the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, as he looks for his 10th win of the season, while the Dodgers will send Tony Gonsolin to the mound.