Quinn Mathews gave up two solo home runs in the first two innings yet held the Giants scoreless for the next four frames. That is a rare split in modern baseball. Most pitchers crumble after a quick deficit. Mathews did not. He threw 99 pitches and recorded four strikeouts before leaving the game. The Cardinals lost 2-1, but the story is how close the pitcher kept it despite the early blow.
The Early Hit Parade
The trouble started fast. Bryce Eldridge launched a 389-foot shot to the opposite field in left during the bottom of the first inning. That gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, Christian Koss turned on a 91 mph four-seam fastball from Mathews. A 2-0 lead for San Francisco was established when he launched the ball 373 feet over the left field wall. According to Viva El Birdos, both were solo shots. Mathews allowed no more runs for the rest of his time on the mound.
Those two homers were the only runs the Giants would score. It is strange to see a pitcher give up two long balls and still escape with a quality start. The stats show he worked six innings total. He walked two batters and struck out four. The damage was done early, but the rest of the game was a grind. Mathews kept the line tight after the second inning.
Cardinals Miss Big Chances
The offense had its moments but could not convert. In the top of the third inning, bases were loaded by two walks plus a single. Jordan Walker grounded out and scored no one. In the top of the sixth, Ivan Herrera reached on an error. A walk to Alec Burleson followed. Jordan Walker then hit into a double play, effectively ending a possible rally. FOX 2 reported that the home runs by Eldridge and Koss were the only offense the Giants needed.
During the seventh inning top, Thomas Saggese extended his hitting streak by hitting a single up the middle. Masyn Winn’s groundout moved him into scoring position. Nathan Church grounded out to finish the inning, preventing him from scoring. The Cardinals had the runners but not the hits. It was a classic case of wasted opportunities. The pitching held, but the bats stayed quiet.
The Final Frame Shift
Gordon Graceffo took over in the bottom of the seventh inning in relief of Quinn Mathews. Viva El Birdos described Graceffo’s first inning as a carnival of chaos, though it did not detail the outcome beyond the score. The final result was a 2-1 loss for St. Louis. Landen Roupp was the starter for the Giants, and he got the win. The Cardinals will need more runs to beat teams that hit for power like this.
Mathews proved he can weather the storm even when the first two innings go bad. He gave up two runs but nothing else.
