Giants thrive on Cards' pitching

ST. LOUIS -- Now that Barry Bonds is long gone, San Francisco has a lineup that hardly scares anyone -- except maybe the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff, which has surrendered the Giants' three biggest offensive days.

Bengie Molina hit three doubles and drove in three runs as the Giants reached season highs for runs, hits and winning margin in an 8-2 victory Sunday.

San Francisco won the season series 4-3, with all seven games played in a span of 11 days.

The first two games this weekend were more in character for the Giants, who totaled four runs but won 3-0 behind Tim Lincecum on Saturday. In the finale, the only suspense was whether Jonathan Sanchez would qualify for his first victory as a starter since Sept. 6, 2006.

"We came out swinging," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We came in here playing a hot team, and Bengie got the big hit to drive in a couple that seemed to get things contagious."

John Bowker hit his third career home run, all against the Cardinals, and Aaron Rowand drove in two runs as the Giants took two of three and handed St. Louis its first series loss of the season. Molina, a somewhat sheepish cleanup hitter, has 11 RBIs in 11 games and a team-leading 13 overall.

"I'm not a fourth hitter at all. I don't hit home runs," Molina said. "Seriously, I'm the kind of guy who is happy with the win. Getting the RBIs was huge."

Sanchez (1-1) pitched two-hit ball for five innings, but needed 101 pitches. The Cardinals did not score until getting two runs in the ninth off Vinnie Chulk.

Braden Looper (3-1) endured one of his worst outings since moving to the rotation last year, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in three-plus innings. He missed a chance to become the Cardinals' first starter to start the year 4-0 since Matt Morris in 2002.

Looper entered with a run of six consecutive April victories dating to last season, and didn't allow a run in the first three innings of his first three starts. The Giants remain the only NL team he hasn't beaten.

"I didn't get my job done, basically," Looper said. "I don't know what else to say. I basically stunk."

The Giants, who had 14 hits overall, batted around in a six-run third against Looper. All of the damage was done with six consecutive hits to open the inning, including RBI doubles by Ray Durham and Molina. Bowker capped the scoring with a two-run shot.

The Giants swung at 14 pitches in the inning, and missed only once.

"I think that six-run inning took a little starch out of us," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Relievers Keiichi Yabu and Merkin Valdez each pitched two hitless innings.

The Cardinals got four hits in the ninth, including RBI doubles by Glaus and Rico Washington.