Diaz touches off home run barrage, Cardinals beat Giants

ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Aledmys Diaz lined a tying, three-run shot off the foul pole in the fifth inning, one of four homers in a span of nine at-bats against Jeff Samardzija, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Saturday night.

Brandon Moss got the long-ball binge started with his 11th leading off the fifth. Stephen Piscotty and Matt Adams hit consecutive homers in a matter of three pitches to open the sixth for a 6-4 cushion.

The rally rescued Michael Wacha, who left trailing 4-0 after five seemingly on track for a seventh consecutive loss. Wacha has allowed 23 earned runs in his last 23 innings.

Samardzija (7-4) had given up five homers in 80 innings all season, and just one in his previous five outings. He opened with four routine innings, permitting three singles and no runner past first base.

Tyler Lyons (2-0), Seung Hwan Oh and Kevin Siegrist each worked a hitless inning before Trevor Rosenthal set the side down in order in the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Diaz was sitting on a 3-0 pitch for his eighth homer that banged off the foul pole just below the third deck in left, a drive estimated at 426 feet. Piscotty and Adams have seven homers apiece.

Joe Panik doubled twice with an RBI, Brandon Crawford doubled and tripled and Samardzija had an RBI single for the NL West-leading Giants, who are 18-5 in their last 23 games.

Moss hit his first triple of the season and scored on a groundout by Yadier Molina in the eighth.

Up next

Giants: Jake Peavy (2-5, 6.34) is coming off his best start, pitching one-hit ball for seven innings against Atlanta. The right-hander will get extra rest due to off days for the team and pitch again in next Sunday's nationally televised game.

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (5-5, 3.69) struck out eight in eight scoreless innings his last start at Milwaukee, ending a career-worst five-game losing streak.

Trainer's room

Giants: Matt Cain (hamstring) is scheduled to throw his second bullpen session today and if all goes well could throw a simulated game Wednesday that could be the final test before returning to the rotation. Cain threw 20 pitches off a mound on Friday.

Cardinals: SS Jhonny Peralta (thumb) remains on track to be activated from the DL on Tuesday. He started Saturday for Class A Palm Beach but will likely primarily play at 3B when he returns due to the emergence of Diaz.

Get a hit

Wacha had been 0 for 19 with 10 strikeouts on the year before a swinging bunt single in the third.