Vogelsong, Bumgarner share billing for Giants’ 2-0 victory over Cardinals

Ryan Vogelsong pitched six innings of two-hit ball and ace Madison Bumgarner keyed a seventh-inning rally with his first career pinch hit, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Tuesday night.

The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander insisted last year’s NL championship series failure was absolutely not on his mind preparing to face the Giants for the first time this season. Cain hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Brandon Crawford drove in his 75th run with a line single to left that scored Matt Duffy in the sixth. San Francisco then brought the infield’s middle in as Carpenter put a 1-2 pitch in play, an old Don Zimmer trick that can sometimes distract a hitter. “Getting that second run, that’s huge”. He struck out swinging against Trevor Rosenthal on a 97 miles per hour fastball and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 4-3 victory Wednesday night.

Justin Maxwell is supposed to be the late-game power option off the bench, but he’s become an everyday player (again) because of Pence’s injuries.

Leake said he can pitch and swing the bat, but running is a concern, and he can only get it up to about 60 percent. Despite all these injuries, the Cardinals still have the best record in baseball and just continue to find ways to win with series victories over the Pirates and Giants.

Hellickson (9-8) allowed one run and three hits in 51/3 innings while striking out four and walking one.

Bumgarner’s pinch-hit was the first by a Giants pitcher since Kirk Reuter on August 17, 2004, against Montreal. The 14-game victor shut out the Nationals on Sunday and also hit his fourth homer of the season.

The Cardinals just couldn’t get anything going offensively. Tillman (9-7) allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts over 7 innings.

Cain found a rhythm after Piscotty’s homer and retired 10 of the last 11 men he faced, leaving with a 3-2 lead. “When he gets going he does special things”, Matheny said.

In Baltimore, Henry Urrutia broke a ninth-inning tie with his first major league home run, and the Orioles ended a nine-game losing streak against New York.

Right fielder Stephen Piscotty, who was robbed of a homer by Perez just before Peralta’s double, made it 2-0 in the third when he cracked a 394-foot solo homer into the left field seats.

Santiago Casilla got the last three outs to finish the two-hitter and earn his 29th save in 34 chances.

San Francisco activated C Andrew Susac (right thumb) from the 15-day DL and inserted him into the lineup to give Buster Posey a night off. The Giants optioned C Hector Sanchez to Triple-A Sacramento.