Bryce Eldridge hit a long home run and drove in three runs, rookie right-hander Blade Tidwell pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 on Tuesday to stop a four-game losing streak.
Taking advantage after leadoff man Drew Gilbert reached on an error in the first inning, Eldridge connected against right-hander Andre Pallante for a two-run shot, hitting it 461 feet over the bullpen in right field. Eldridge’s 17th homer was the longest at Busch Stadium this season.
Turner Hill, a 27-year-old undrafted rookie who debuted a month ago, hit his first major league homer in the ninth for the Giants (63-89). He finished with three RBIs, and he also made three nice running catches in left field.
Christian Koss had three hits and drove in two runs for San Francisco, which built a 7-1 lead in the third to support Tidwell, who came in with a 5.45 ERA in his seven starts — six of which the Giants lost.
Tidwell (1-2) retired 13 in a row spanning the third inning to the seventh, when Thomas Saggese hit a single with one out. After setting down the next batter, Tidwell exited, having logged 95 pitches. He allowed two runs, three hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts in a career-high 6 2/3 innings.
Alec Burleson lined a solo homer, his 23rd, in the bottom of the first for the Cardinals (75-77), who had won three of four.
Burleson’s 111 RBIs lead the majors and are tied for the most by a left-handed hitter for the Cardinals since Hall of Famer Stan Musial finished with 126 in 1954. Jim Edmonds drove in 111 runs in 2004.
Pallante (12-7) came in with a 1.99 ERA over his past seven starts, and he had not allowed a home run in his past eight outings. He yielded a season-high eight runs, six earned, along with eight hits and two walks over five innings. Pallante fanned two.
