Ivan Herrera ignited a four-run fifth inning with a two-run homer, four St. Louis relievers combined for four innings of shutout ball and the visiting Cardinals kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.
A second straight win by the Cardinals (77-80) and the eighth loss in 10 games by the Giants (77-80) left the teams tied in the National League wild-card race. They each trail the Cincinnati Reds (80-76) and New York Mets (80-76) by 3 1/2 games and the Arizona Diamondbacks (79-76) by 2 1/2 games for the final NL playoff spot.
Both San Francisco and St. Louis have just five games remaining.
Heliot Ramos homered on Michael McGreevy’s third pitch of the game to help jump-start the Giants to a 4-2 lead through four innings. Ramos added a two-RBI single in a three-run fourth.
However, the Cardinals rallied into the lead for good after Herrera’s 18th homer of the season followed a single by Lars Nootbaar and tied the game at 4-4.
After two more hits and one out, infield grounders by Pedro Pages, which was booted by second baseman Casey Schmitt, and Jordan Walker, on which the Giants failed to get a double play, plated St. Louis’ third and fourth runs of the inning.
The Giants got one back when Rafael Devers led off the last of the fifth with his 33rd homer. San Francisco got just one hit after that — and it resulted in an out when Patrick Bailey attempted to stretch a single into a double leading off the sixth inning.
McGreevy (8-3) finished the fifth to earn the win, charged with all five Giants runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out two.
Ryan Fernandez, John King, Kyle Leahy and JoJo Romero tag-teamed to preserve the one-run lead from there. Romero notched his eighth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Giants starter Justin Verlander (3-11) served up all six Cardinals runs, only four of which were earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed nine hits and two walks while striking out three.
Alec Burleson had three hits and Jose Fermin produced two doubles for the Cardinals, who beat the Giants for the third time in four meetings this season.
Ramos’ homer was his 19th of the year. He was joined by Bailey with a pair of hits for the Giants.
