St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez found his rhythm early Youth Trent Murphy Jersey , both on the mound and at the plate.

It was another encouraging sign for the right-hander, who struggled through a rough May and wound up on the disabled list for the first time in his career.

Martinez pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win and doubled in the Cardinals‘ first run in a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Saturday.

”You could tell he found something in the `pen that he carried right onto the mound in the first inning,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. ”That’s a great place for him to be and he just kept building on it. Now it looks just like he was before he got hurt.”

Martinez missed 23 games while sidelined with a right lat strain and was only marginally effective upon his return. In his last three starts, however, Martinez has a 2.36 ERA while allowing five runs in 19 innings.

”Right now my arm is great so I don’t have any pain in there,” Martinez said. ”I have focus always and I believe in myself.”

Martinez allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the third time this season.

Kolton Wong had two hits and scored a run, disgruntled outfielder Dexter Fowler added a sacrifice fly and Francisco Pena singled in a run.

Martinez (6-4) was steady most of the afternoon and only allowed one runner past first base until the sixth inning. He got Brandon Belt to pop out with a runner on third in the first, stranded runners on base in the second and fourth and then got Brandon Crawford to ground out after Belt’s RBI double in the sixth.

Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the eighth and Bud Norris retired three batters for his 17th save.

”The last outings I’ve had really good focus and I’m comfortable with myself Youth Kentavius Street Jersey ,” Martinez said. ”All my pitches are moving, and today I was trying to throw right in the middle because I’ve got a lot of movement on my two-seamer and my cutter.”

Belt had three hits and drove in both runs for the Giants. San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.

Jeff Samardzija had an uneven outing in his first start since May 29. Activated off the disabled list before the game, Samardzija (1-5) gave up three runs in five innings and repeatedly pitched with runners on base.

”The mistakes aren’t because of the arm,” Samardzija said. ”They’re just because of the execution of the pitch, and that’s always a good thing.”

FOWLER’S FUNK

Fowler went 0-for-3 to drop his batting average to .168. Earlier this week, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak appeared to question Fowler’s effort but later backed off those comments.

”That’s a big run right there,” Matheny said, adding that Fowler has been taking better at-bats. ”I know he’s looking for results right now and the fact that we can get a run in Rashaan Gaulden Jersey , that’s a result. But I know he’s looking for some hits to fall in, just like everybody else.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Yadier Molina was given the day off after experiencing soreness in his right shoulder. LHP Tyler Lyons (elbow strain) began his rehab assignment and threw 13 pitches in one scoreless inning for Triple-A Memphis. Lyons has been out since June 6. RHP Luke Gregerson (shoulder impingement) threw nine pitches in a rehab appearance with Double-A Springfield.

Giants: 2B Joe Panik was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain he injured while running from first to third during Friday’s game. Closer Hunter Strickland (broken hand) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. INF Chase d’Arnaud was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and RHP Chris Stratton was optioned down.

UP NEXT

Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (1-3, 2.58 ERA) pitches the series finale Sunday against Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty (3-4, 3.19). Bumgarner has lost five of his last six starts against St. Louis. Flaherty allowed five runs in four innings during his only career appearance against San Francisco in 2017.

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A look at what’s happening around baseball today:

CHECK HIM

The Chicago Cubs might have further word on Yu Darvish after the Japanese ace said he felt soreness in his troubled triceps tendon following a minor league rehab start. Darvish hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis. He threw five sharp innings for Class A South Bend on Monday, and was set to rejoin the Cubs during their series at Dodger Stadium.

”In the triceps there’s likeliness to get more fatigue there, especially if there’s a long gap between innings,” he said through a translator. ”That’s when I feel fatigue there. Not necessarily pain, but I can’t for sure say there is nothing going on in the tricep zone.”

NIMMO NEEDED

The Mets take a seven-game skid into their game against Pittsburgh Youth Isaiah Oliver Jersey , but at least they may get their most productive hitter back. Brandon Nimmo has a sore right pinkie after getting hit by a pitch Sunday, but an MRI showed no broken bones and he is day to day. He didn’t start Monday but entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning and stayed in the game to play left field. The Mets have also lost 14 of 15 at home and are 13-25 at Citi Field this season.

ACES ALONG I-95

Aces Luis Severino and Jake Arrieta square off as the Yankees continue a series in Philadelphia. Severino (11-2, 2.24) has never faced the Phillies, and Arrieta (5-5, 3.42) is 3-1, 3.83 in seven career starts vs. New York. The Yankees won the series opener Monday in their first appearance at Citizens Bank Park since beating the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. The Yankees improved to 14-14 against the Phillies, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only team they have a losing record (6-7) against in the regular season.

ON THE SKIDS

Carlos Martinez has lost three straight decisions entering a tough test against Corey Kluber and the Indians. Martinez (3-4, 3.24) hasn’t won since May 2 Youth Deadrin Senat Jersey , and St. Louis has dropped his past five starts, a span in which he has a 7.06 ERA. Kluber (11-3, 2.10) pitched seven innings of one-hit ball in a 12-0 victory over the White Sox in his previous outing.

COLLEGES

Oregon State and Arkansas begin the College World Series, a day after the opener in their best-of-three matchup was rained out in Omaha. Luke Heimlich (16-2) starts for Oregon State against the Razorbacks’ Blaine Knight (13-0).

A two-time Pac-12 pitcher of the year, Heimlich was not picked in this month’s Major League Baseball draft. He wasn’t with the team at last year’s College World Series after it was revealed he had pleaded guilty to molesting a young relative when he was 15. He served two years’ probation and went through a treatment program, but later denied wrongdoing in interviews with Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.