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May 3 (UPI) -- Paul Goldschmidt hit an early home run and pitcher Steven Matz allowed just four hits over six shutout innings to guide the St. Louis Cardinals to a narrow win over the Kansas City Royals. Goldschmidt went 2 for 3 in the 1-0 victory Monday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game featured just nine total hits. Royals starter Zack Greinke allowed just three hits and one run over six innings, but dropped to 0-2 on the season.
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"He did a great job, [but] we were able to get one run," Goldschmidt told Bally Sports, when asked about Greinke. "Our pitchers did equally as good of a job."
Matz escaped the top of the first unscathed. Greinke then retired Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader to lead off the bottom of the first. Goldschmidt followed Bader into the batter's box.
The Cardinals first baseman took two fastballs for called strikes on the outside of the zone. Greinke then tossed a slider over the middle of the plate.
Goldschmidt smacked the offering to left field for a 383-foot solo homer, which would prove to be the lone run of the game.
"I'm sure he was trying to throw that slider down and away and it ended up just being up [in the zone] and in the middle of the plate," Goldschmidt said of Greinke's pitch. "Fortunately, I was able to get it out of here."
Greinke went on to retire his next six consecutive hitters. Matz retired eight out of 10 hitters after his first hit allowed in the first inning.
Cardinals relief pitchers Kodi Whitley and Nick Wittgren did not allow a hit or run in their respective seventh and eighth inning appearances. Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos allowed one hit and issued two strikeouts in the ninth to earn his fifth save of 2022.
First baseman Carlos Santana was the only Royals player with more than one hit in the loss. He went 2 for 4 and left one runner on base.
The Royals (7-14) host the Cardinals (13-9) in the first game of a two-game series at 8:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
