Gray Takes No-Hit Bid Into Sixth, Cardinals Beat Giants 4-3

The St. Louis Cardinals eked out a tense 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Starter Sonny Gray set the tone early with a nearly untouchable performance.

Gray flirted with a no-hitter deep into the game. Timely hits and some gutsy defensive work kept the Cardinals ahead, even as the Giants mounted a late push.

St. Louis’ bullpen and a couple of defensive gems finally slammed the door at Busch Stadium. This one stung for the Giants, who saw their postseason hopes take a hit.

Gray’s No-Hit Bid and Strong Start

For five innings, Sonny Gray completely shut down San Francisco’s lineup. He mixed pinpoint fastballs and biting breaking balls, leaving hitters guessing.

His no-hitter stretched into the sixth, showing again why he’s been the Cardinals’ ace this year. Honestly, the crowd could feel something special brewing.

The Sixth-Inning Turning Point

But then, things got shaky. Back-to-back walks in the sixth cracked the door for the Giants.

Rafael Devers broke up the no-hit bid with an RBI single. Dominic Smith and Matt Chapman followed with their own run-scoring singles, suddenly making it a one-run game.

Manager Oliver Marmol didn’t hesitate—he called for reliever Andre Svanson. Svanson came in and struck out Joon-Ho Lee with the bases loaded, bailing out the Cards in a high-wire moment.

Defensive Gems Preserve the Lead

Pitching set the stage, but the Cardinals’ defense stole the show late. In the seventh, center fielder Nathan Church sprinted down a rocket line drive off Casey Schmitt’s bat.

He snagged it on the run, robbing extra bases and keeping the Giants from tying things up. That play felt huge with the game hanging in the balance.

Closing It Out

The ninth inning brought more drama. With the Giants still threatening, reliever Riley O’Brien took the mound.

He got a game-ending double play for his third save of the season. The Cardinals’ pitchers scattered just five hits, and fans finally exhaled.

Cardinals’ Offense Capitalizes Early

St. Louis didn’t waste time building a lead. Their hitters put together tough at-bats against Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng, who racked up eight strikeouts but couldn’t find the zone when it mattered.

Run Producers Step Up

The Cardinals plated runs with:

• RBI singles from Iván Herrera and Lars Nootbaar
• A bases-loaded walk by Nolan Gorman
• A run-scoring double play from Masyn Winn

Those early runs made all the difference once the Giants started to rally.

Playoff Picture Impact

This one hurts for the Giants. After ripping off 11 wins in 12 games, they’ve now dropped two straight and sit four games behind the New York Mets for the last NL wild card spot.

With only weeks left in the season, every missed chance feels heavier.

Home Comfort for Gray and the Cardinals

Gray notched his 13th win of the year and keeps looking like a force at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are now a stellar 14-5 in his home starts.

He’s been the steady hand they lean on, especially when things get dicey.

What’s Next

The Cardinals’ victory gives them a boost as they head west to face the Seattle Mariners. The Giants, meanwhile, return to Oracle Park to welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Postseason urgency is at an all-time high. Sunday night’s game really showed off what makes late-season baseball special: dominant pitching and game-changing defensive plays.

The razor-thin margins between victory and defeat? That was on full display. For St. Louis, execution made the difference.

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Here is the source article for this story: Gray takes no-hit bid into 6th as Cards beat Giants 4-3 Sunday