Matt Carpenter has no problem facing Matt Cain, even on a moment's notice. His third-inning home run off the Giants right-hander makes him 5-for-6 in his career against Cain, with four runs batted in. Carpenter came into the game after Carlos Beltran left with a knee injury and blasted an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field that gave his squad a 2-1 lead.
The Giants got on the board in the first inning on a groundout by Pablo Sandoval that scored Angel Pagan. Despite batting around Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse, the Giants have left nine runners on base and have scored only the one run. Lohse gave way to the bullpen in the sixth, and Trevor Rosenthal got out of a jam to end the inning. A combination of Edward Mujica and Mitchell Boggs escaped a stressful seventh inning for St. Louis.
Matt Cain remains in the game, having given up just four hits in six innings. Carpenter's home run was the fourth that Cain has allowed this postseason. That coming after the Giants pitcher did not allow an earned run in postseason play in 2010.
Carlos Beltran, who left the game in the first inning, has been listed as day-to-day with a left knee strain