ST. LOUIS (AP) - Bruce Bochy had plenty of time to ponder this loss. Before two rain delays and after them, too, the San Francisco Giants offense came up empty.
“We just got shut down,” the manager said after a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday that lasted a snappy 2 hours, 29 minutes without delays of 47 and 51 minutes. “Our guy did a good job, we just didn’t do anything offensively.”
Michael Wacha worked six innings of three-hit ball in his fifth rain-delayed start of the season and Oscar Taveras homered in his second career at-bat for the Cardinals. The Giants were held to three hits by Wacha and three relievers and were shut out for the fourth time of the season, ending a string of six straight games scoring four or more runs.
Yusmeiro Petit (3-3) gave up two hits in six innings, but one of them was Taveras’ 418-foot drive in the fifth. Petit subbed for injured Matt Cain, placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, for the second straight start.
Petit made his fifth start of the year overall, matched his season high for innings, and kept it close. He allowed at least four runs in each of the previous three starts.
“The last couple games I missed a couple spots,” Petit said. “I made adjustments, stayed down in the zone and mixed it up.
“That’s my job, to save the bullpen,” Petit said.
Petit and the Giants paid for a hanging curveball to Taveras.
“He’s got a good swing, you know,” Petit said. “He swings hard, he pulls everything. I tried to stay away and I missed on one pitch.”
The Cardinals have piled up 6 hours, 30 minutes of idle time in Wacha’s starts. The total includes a 61-minute weather delay before the first pitch against the Yankees his last start for a storm that failed to materialize, and the Cardinals lost in 12 innings.
Wacha’s debut a year ago against the Royals was delayed more than 4 1/2 hours after the bullpen gave up the lead and finished at 3:14 a.m.
Jhonny Peralta added an RBI double off George Kontos in the seventh for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing streak and snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak.
Rain began to fall heavily during Taveras’ at-bat with one out in the fifth while fans opened umbrellas or headed for cover. The game was halted for the first time after the 21-year-old outfielder, the team’s prize prospect, hammered a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall.
“Well, he got off to a good start,” Bochy said. “I’m sure that’s what they’re looking for, to provide some power.”
The 22-year-old Wacha (4-3) gave up one hit and dealt with just one base runner the first five innings, a double by Michael Morse leading off the second. He returned after a 47-minute delay to work a scoreless sixth, allowing two-out, two-strike hits to Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval before striking out cleanup man Morse on three pitches.
Sam Freeman and Pat Neshek worked a scoreless inning apiece, combining for three strikeouts, and Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for 16th save in 18 chances.
Matt Carpenter had a single and walk and has a 13-game hitting streak, the longest current run in the National League. Matt Holliday walked in the eighth and has reached base in all 27 home games.
NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey missed his third straight game with tightness in his lower back. Manager Bruce Bochy said Posey could return Sunday or get another day with the team off Monday. … Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner was 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA in May with 48 strikeouts in 39 innings. … Tim Hudson (5-2, 1.92) opposes Lance Lynn (6-2, 3.13) in the series finale on Sunday. Lynn shut out the Yankees in his first career complete game his last start and Hudson has worked seven or more innings in all but two of his 10 starts. … Sandoval is batting .400 (16 for 40) during an 11-game hitting streak with five homers and 14 RBIs. … Morse has an extra-base hit in each of the last six games. Petit has made four career starts against the Cardinals and has a decision in all of them, going 1-3.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.