SAN FRANCISCO — The sun shone a little brighter for the Giants an hour before the first pitch Wednesday.
They found out that St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter would be scratched because of upper back inflammation. Instead of facing the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, the Giants would get a greatest-hits collection from the Cardinals bullpen.
But by the time the Giants put their own relievers in the game, their advantage was nullified. Noah Lowry somehow managed to lob a 15-foot pickoff throw into center field, Scott Munter earned himself a demotion with another wild outing, and the Giants lost 10-4 to drop two of three in the series.
The manager’s office was shut long after the game while manager Felipe Alou met with GM Brian Sabean. When the door opened, Alou announced that Munter would be optioned to Double-A Connecticut and Dan Ortmeier, who played erratically in his first start of the season, would return to Triple-A Fresno. No corresponding moves were made.
“Munter is a one-pitch guy, and we need to get his sinker going,” Alou said. “And Ortmeier needs to play every day.” Munter, who retired just one of his six hitters and walked in a run, in Connecticut will resume work with pitching coach Bob Stanley, who helped the tall right-hander develop his heavy sinker.
The Giants have an open spot on the 40-man roster and are looking hard at purchasing the contract of left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, who has destroyed Eastern League hitters. Sanchez, 23, has a 1.15 ERA in 13 games and has allowed just 14 hits in 31 innings while striking out 46. Adding Sanchez would give the Giants a valuable second lefty in the bullpen, along with Steve Kline.
Alou declined to speculate on Ortmeier’s replacement, though trainer Stan Conte said it was “incredibly improbable” that Moises Alou would be ready to come off the disabled list. The club has few other options within the organization, though outfielder Todd Linden is playing again at Fresno after missing six weeks with a torn thumb ligament.
If Sabean looks outside, Phil Nevin is one possibility. The Rangers replaced Nevin with rookie John Botts at DH and are willing to eat most of the veteran’s $10 million salary in a trade. Nevin, a right-handed first baseman, could be a potential fit, if the Giants decide they can’t rely on Lance Niekro to stay healthy.
J.T. Snow also has had some communication with people within the organization, but he would duplicate a left-handed hitting role that Mark Sweeney already fills. Snow wants out of Boston because of a lack of playing time.
Niekro is due to come off the disabled list on Tuesday.
Roster shakeups don’t usually come after a team has won six of nine games, but with Barry Bonds on the bench, the Giants came out with little life Wednesday.
They had the bases loaded with nobody out in the third inning and failed to score. Their pitchers walked seven. Ortmeier called off Ray Durham for a ball he couldn’t catch in shallow right field. And the Cardinals relievers, who normally take batting practice as a gag, smacked extra-base hits.
Adam Wainwright hit the first major league pitch to him for a home run. Braden Looper hit a double. Jason Marquis, who started and beat the Giants on Tuesday, hit a pinch triple in the third inning.
“The pitchers almost hit for the cycle,” Felipe Alou said. “One of the few fastballs Noah threw for strike one, their guy (Wainwright) hit it out of the ballpark.”
Lowry’s biggest mistake came on his simplest toss of the day. With the Giants leading 4-3 in the sixth inning, Juan Encarnacion and Hector Luna led off with consecutive singles. Lowry whirled, stepped off the rubber and caught Encarnacion breaking too soon.
Instead of starting an easy rundown, Lowry’s pitch to Durham sailed over the infielder’s head. The runners each moved up, Alou’s chin hit the dugout rail, and Lowry put his glove over his face as if he’d just mistakenly tossed a winning lotto ticket into a campfire.
Both runners eventually scored on a single and a sacrifice fly.
“That was the play,” Alou said. “That will break the back of every team. We knew sooner or later one of them would fall into that trap. They did, and they got out smelling like roses.”
It was Lowry’s first error in 58 career games.
“I single-handedly cost us that game today,” Lowry said.
How they scored
Giants first: Winn singled. Vizquel tripled, Winn scored. Finley grounded out. Feliz popped out. Sweeney doubled, Vizquel scored. Giants 2, Cardinals 0.
Cardinals second: Rolen walked. Encarnacion walked, Rolen to second. Luna singled, Rolen to third, Encarnacion to second. Molina grounded into a double play, Rolen scored. Giants 2, Cardinals 1.
Cardinals third: Marquis tripled. Eckstein singled, Marquis scored. Cardinals 2, Giants 2.
Giants fourth: Greene doubled. Ortmeier singled, Greene scored. Lowry grounded into fielder’s choice, Ortmeier out. Winn grounded into fielder’s choice, Lowry out. Vizquel singled, Winn to third. Finley doubled, Winn scored. Giants 4, Cardinals 2.
Cardinals fifth: Wainwright homered. Giants 4, Cardinals 3.
Cardinals sixth: Encarnacion singled. Luna singled, Encarnacion to second. Encarnacion to third on pitcher Lowry’s error, Luna to second. Molina singled, Encarnacion scored, Luna to third. Taguchi hit a sacrifice fly, Luna scored. Cardinals 5, Giants 4.
Cardinals seventh: Spiezio singled. Pujols lined out. Rolen walked, Spiezio to second. Encarnacion singled, Spiezio scored, Rolen to third. Luna walked, Encarnacion to second. Molina walked, Rolen scored, Encarnacion to third, Luna to second. Taguchi singled, Encarnacion scored, Luna to third, Molina to second. Duncan grounded out, Luna scored. Cardinals 9, Giants 4.
Cardinals ninth: With two outs, Taguchi homered. Cardinals 10, Giants 4.
Sports spat: Who will finish their career with more home runs, Barry Bonds or Albert Pujols?
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