SAN FRANCISCO _ The Cardinals are going to have to go awhile with Alex Reyes not being available out of the bullpen.
The rookie is too valuable as a starter.
In his first start since rejoining the rotation and replacing Jaime Garcia, Reyes dazzled with seven shutout innings against the Giants that kept the Cardinals in the wild-card conversation. The Cardinals' 3-0 victory Sunday at AT&T Park split the four-game series with the Giants and left the wild-card race exactly where they started it back on Thursday. The only difference is that the Mets have vaulted ahead with a sweep of the Twins.
The Mets led the Giants by a game. The Cardinals are a game behind the Giants. The Cardinals are two games back of the wild-card leading Mets.
All three teams have 13 games remaining in the season.
Seung Hwan Oh pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. He got the win in Saturday's comeback win that made the split possible.
Aledmys Diaz homered in the third inning to give the Cardinals the lead they would not relinquish. Kolten Wong tripled in the eighth inning and then scored to extend the lead for the Cardinals.
