Major League Baseball

Pence's replacement Parker homers, but Giants lose again

Published Jun. 6, 2016 1:46 a.m. ET

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ST. LOUIS (AP) The San Francisco Giants got a home run from one of Hunter Pence's replacements. So there was one piece of good news after they squandered another lead.

Jarrett Parker snapped a 2-for-19 slump with a two-run shot in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night.

''It's a tough situation getting thrown in there,'' Parker said. ''I'm not going to lie, it's crossed my mind, but all I can do is go about my business and try to play the game right and play hard.''

Manager Bruce Bochy said Parker, Mac Williamson and Kelby Tomlinson could all get playing time while Pence is out. The 33-year-old Pence will undergo surgery for a torn hamstring on Thursday in Dallas and is expected to be sidelined eight weeks.

''Well, they're all going to get a shot, really,'' Bochy said before the game. ''You don't want to go back and forth, you want to give somebody some consistent at-bats to see if they get their timing going.

''The secret is, how long is that?''

Parker has started all three games since Pence was injured.

''If I play hard, it takes care of itself,'' Parker said. ''Hunter (Pence) is a huge part of this team and he's got a pretty big pair of shoes to fill and I'm going to try my best.''

Aledmys Diaz, Matt Adams and Yadier Molina each had an RBI during a four-run sixth inning for St. Louis.

The tiebreaking run came on an RBI fielder's choice with the bases loaded by Molina, who entered the at-bat in an 0-for-20 skid. Shortstop Brandon Crawford made an error on the play when he dropped the ball on the exchange trying to flip to second to start a double play.

The NL West-leading Giants have lost two straight for the first time since May 8-10 when they dropped three in a row. Despite dropping the weekend series, they are a major league-best 18-6 since May 11.

Carlos Martinez (6-5) allowed three runs in six innings and Matt Carpenter had three hits and an RBI for St. Louis, which scored seven unanswered runs to win 7-4 on Saturday. Trevor Rosenthal earned his 10th save in 11 chances.

Bochy used three relievers in the sixth trying to preserve the lead for Jake Peavy (2-6), who missed a chance at his 150th career victory.

''I'm hugely disappointed in how it went,'' Peavy said. ''There's no ifs, ands or buts about that. But personally I'm not sitting here thinking I've got to do anything different the next time out for sure.''

WILD STAT

Martinez threw three wild pitches after entering with three on the year.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Giants: Matt Cain (hamstring) threw a second bullpen session Sunday and is likely to throw a simulated game Wednesday.

Cardinals: SS Jhonny Peralta (thumb) returned to St. Louis after going 0 for 4 and playing 3B for Class A Palm Beach and is expected to be activated off the 15-day DL on Tuesday. Peralta will play 3B due to the emergence of Diaz.

REST TIME

Giants C Buster Posey got a routine day off. He's in a 2-for-24 slump.

UP NEXT

Giants: Albert Suarez (1-1, 3.18) makes his second career start Tuesday in the opener of a two-game series against the Red Sox. He's filling in for Cain.

Cardinals: Mike Leake (4-4, 3.82) makes his first career appearance against the Reds on Tuesday to start a six-game trip. He's 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA his last five outings.

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