Sonny Gray flirts with perfection as Cards sweep Giants

Sonny Gray took a perfect game bid into the seventh inning as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the visiting San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Gray (9-4) retired the first 20 batters he faced. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey ended the veteran right-hander's bid by blasting a two-out homer to right.

Gray allowed just the one hit and run, struck out eight and walked none. Ryan Helsley converted his 26th consecutive save opportunity to extend his team-record streak.

Alec Burleson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two stolen bases and a run for the Cardinals, who have won eight of 11 to push two games over .500 for the first time since the 2022 season.

Since starting the season 15-24, the Cardinals have gone 24-13 to climb into the National League playoff race.

The Giants have lost five straight and seven of their last nine.

Giants starter Logan Webb (6-6) allowed four runs on nine hits through six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

St. Louis broke out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. Masyn Winn hit a leadoff double and scored on Burleson's single.

Burleson stole second base and scored on Brendan Donovan's double. Matt Carpenter followed with an RBI single.

The Cardinals upped their lead to 4-0 in the second. Pedro Pages hit a single, stole second and scored on Burleson's single.

The Giants trimmed their deficit to 4-1 with Bailey's homer in the seventh, then cut it to 4-3 against the St. Louis bullpen in the eighth.

JoJo Romero walked Matt Chapman leading off and Thairo Estrada one out later. Andrew Kittredge relieved Romero and allowed a ground-run double by Wilmer Flores and a sacrifice fly by Austin Slater before escaping the inning.

The Cardinals increased their lead to 5-3 in their half of the eighth on doubles by Dylan Carlson and Brandon Crawford.

--Field Level Media