Brendan Donovan homers, hits RBI single as Cardinals beat Giants 6-1 in season finale

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brendan Donovan hit a solo homer in the third and followed it up with an RBI single two innings later and Alec Burleson drove in three runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals past the San Francisco Giants 6-1 on Sunday.

José Fermín hit an RBI single in the sixth as the Cardinals backed rookie righty Michael McGreevy (3-0), who stuck out six with no walks while allowing one run on five hits over eight impressive innings.

Manager Oliver Marmol considered giving the ninth to McGreevy, but he had reached 91 pitches.

“It feels a heck of a lot better just going into the offseason with more positivity,” Marmol said. “But the way we did it was fun. McGreevy was excellent, went out and gave us eight, mixed well.”

Giants rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong (5-6) struck out 10 of the initial 15 Cardinals hitters and finished with 11 Ks in his 16th start for San Francisco — one off his career high. It marked Birdsong's second career double-digit strikeout game after fanning 12 at Colorado on July 21.

He gave way to Taylor Rogers after back-to-back RBI singles by Donovan and Burleson in the fifth. Burleson also had a two-run single in the sixth.

San Francisco finished 80-82 — with one more win than last season's 79 victories — in manager Bob Melvin's first season and with a total home attendance of 2,647,736 over 80 home dates since the Giants hosted a doubleheader. The Giants won the NL West in 2021.

“Regardless of what our record was it was going to be disappointing based on what we felt like the team was all about to start the season," Melvin said.

Brett Wisely's seventh-inning RBI single got the Giants on the board.

San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman exited to a warm ovation in the top of the third when replaced on defense by Casey Schmitt. Chapman, who earlier this month received a $151 million, six-year contract for 2025-30, started 153 games this year.

And right fielder Mike Yastrzemski exited to cheers when removed from his spot in the top of the sixth.

Both Chapman and pitcher Logan Webb spoke from the field afterward thanking the fans.

The Cardinals missed the playoffs for a second straight season after three consecutive wild-card defeats following an NL Championship Series berth in 2019. They finished 83-79, including 39-42 on the road while ending the season in San Francisco for the first time since 1960.

“I've learned a lot this year, as a person and as a baseball player,” Donovan said. “If you're constantly learning in this game I think you can continue to get better.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado sat out a second straight day to end the year.

Giants: OF Mark Canha was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb sprain after getting injured in the first inning of Saturday's 6-5 win. ... OF Heliot Ramos was held out of the lineup with a hamstring injury and plantar fasciitis.

ROSTER MOVES

The Giants recalled OF Luis Matos and RHP Trevor McDonald from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned RHP Landen Roupp to Sacramento.

McDonald, San Francisco's 11th-round draft pick in 2019, made his major league debut at age 23 in the top of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with three groundouts before staying in the next two frames.

UP NEXT

The Giants' Cactus League opener is against former manager Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers on Feb. 22, 2025, in Surprise, Arizona.

St. Louis will face the Marlins on Feb. 22 in Jupiter, Florida.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald (49) sprints towards first on an infield single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald (49) scores the game-winning run on a throwing error by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) during the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong (60) stands on the mound as St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, back left, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong, right, throws against St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar, left, during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, right, is congratulated by Paul Goldschmidt (46) after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, right, is congratulated by third base coach Ron Warner (75) as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giats, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings keep proving skeptics wrong while maintaining early control of the NFC North race.

Darnold threw three touchdown passes and Jordan Addison scored twice as the undefeated Vikings built an early 28-point lead and hung on down the stretch to beat the Green Bay Packers 31-29 on Sunday.

Picked by many to finish last in the NFC North, the Vikings (4-0) are off to their best start since 2016, when they won their first five games before slumping to an 8-8 finish. They've trailed for less than 3 1/2 minutes all season.

“At the end of the day, we believe in each other more than anyone else believes in us,” Darnold said.

Minnesota spoiled the return of Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who returned after missing two games with an injured left medial collateral ligament. He threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns, both career highs. But he also matched a career high with three interceptions while going 32 of 54.

“We fought the whole game and started making plays later, but too little, too late,” Love said.

Green Bay (2-2) got within 31-29 on Dontayvion Wicks’ second fourth-quarter touchdown catch — a 17-yarder with 56 seconds left. Minnesota’s Josh Oliver recovered Daniel Whelan’s ensuing onside kick — it actually was a drop kick — to secure the victory.

Darnold was 20 of 28 for 275 yards with touchdown passes of 29 yards to Addison, 2 yards to Oliver and 14 yards to Justin Jefferson. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble.

Addison, who had missed Minnesota’s last two games with an ankle injury, also scored on a 7-yard run.

Former Packers running back Aaron Jones had 22 carries for 93 yards and four catches for 46 yards in his return to Lambeau Field. Jones spent seven seasons with Green Bay before getting released and signing with the Vikings in March.

Jones had said he would do a “Lambeau leap" into the stands if he scored a touchdown. Jones never reached the end zone Sunday, but he still leaped into a section of Vikings fans in the stands on his way to the locker room after the game.

“As we were taking that last kneel, the Packers defense, they’re like, ‘Ahh, we didn’t let you Lambeau leap here. We didn’t let you Lambeau leap in our house,’” Jones said. “I’m like, ‘You guys are worried about me Lambeau leaping? You guys should be worried about the score.’ I came here and got what I wanted. But I did get my Lambeau leap in, so I got a two-for-one.”

Jayden Reed had seven receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Packers.

The game featured seven turnovers — four by Green Bay and three by Minnesota.

Minnesota capitalized on two interceptions by Love and a pair of missed field goal attempts from Brayden Narveson to built its 28-0 lead in the first 25 minutes. It was the Vikings’ highest-scoring first half since 2017, when they scored 28 before halftime and beat Washington 38-30.

“This is a humbling league at times,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Credit to them. They did more than we did to win the game. We’ve got to bounce back from it. We’ve got to learn from it and get better.”

Minnesota scored on each of its first three possessions as Darnold picked apart a Green Bay secondary missing injured cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine. When the Packers finally forced a punt, Shaq Griffin delivered a 28-yard interception return to set up one more Vikings touchdown.

The Vikings led 28-7 and had second-and-1 from the Green Bay 20 in the third quarter when Xavier McKinney picked off Darnold, becoming the first Packer to intercept a pass in each of his first four games with the team.

That helped Green Bay creep back into the game.

Love threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Wicks and a 13-yarder to Tucker Craft to cut Minnesota’s lead to 28-22 with 10:16 remaining. Minnesota regrouped on its next possession, with a couple of completions to Jefferson setting up Will Reichard's 33-yard kick with 6:50 left.

The Packers got one last chance after Minnesota’s Jailen Nailor was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 4 with less than 2 1/2 minutes left. Love engineered a quick 96-yard drive to cut the margin to two.

But the Packers will continue staring up at the surprising Vikings in the NFC North standings.

“I know what we have in this room is special,” said Byron Murphy, who had one of the Vikings’ three interceptions. “So all that outside noise, I keep saying, ‘Stay off the (band)wagon. Don’t try to jump on it now. You all can stay over there, whatever you all do, but we’re going to keep this thing going.’”

Packers WR Christian Watson was carted off the field after injuring an ankle on the play that resulted in an interception. ... Packers DL Devonte Wyatt hurt an ankle in the fourth quarter.

Vikings: Face the New York Jets on Sunday at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Packers: Visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a touchdown pass in the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft, left, and wide receiver Romeo Doubs, right, celebrate a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) celebrates a touchdown with fans during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) waves to fans before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) celebrates a touchdown with teammates Trent Sherfield Sr. (11) and Aaron Jones (33) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, left, runs the ball past Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers defenders tackle Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, center, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) runs the ball past Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, left, during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29) intercepts a pass intended for Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, right, during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) celebrates his touchdown with teammates, Brandon Powell (4), Aaron Jones (33) and Tyrese Robinson (79) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates with fans after the team's win against the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates the team's win after an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)