SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lars Nootbaar homered and tripled to drive in three runs and Ryan Helsley recorded his franchise record 49th save as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Friday night.
The Cardinals have won five of six and secured their 23rd winning season in the last 25 years. The Giants’ loss means they will finish below .500 for the third straight season since winning a franchise-record 107 games in 2021.
Nootbaar, who leads the team in on-base percentage since the All-Star break, hit a solo homer in the third to cut into a 3-1 deficit and then capped a four-run fourth inning for the Cardinals when he knocked in two runs with a two-out triple.
Nolan Arenado continued tearing up the Giants with a three-hit night and he also drove in a run. The eight-time All-Star now has 175 hits and 113 RBIs against the Giants, his most against any opponent.
Helsley struck out two in the ninth to record his MLB-leading 49th save, setting a single-season record for the Cardinals in the process.
Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, St. Louis sent nine batters to the plate in the inning. Masyn Winn worked a 13-pitch at-bat against Giants starter Landon Roupp (1-2) before lining an RBI double to left to tie the game. With two outs, Alec Burleson gave the Cardinals the lead with a single. Arenado followed with a ground-rule double to chase Roupp from the game before Nootbaar tripled off reliever Taylor Rogers.
The Giants scored three runs in the second. Jerar Encarnacion hit a 430-foot, two-run homer to center that he admired as soon as he hit. Mike Yastrezemski had an RBI double later in the inning.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (10-11) allowed three runs in five innings.
ROSTER MOVES
Cardinals: IF Luken Baker was reinstated from the paternity list and OF Victor Scott II was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.
Giants: RHP Randy Rodriguez was reinstated from the injured list and RHP Mason Black was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
LHP Blake Snell (5-3, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled to start the penultimate game of the season on Saturday for the Giants, opposite RHP Andre Pallante (8-8, 3.71 ERA) for the Cardinals.
