SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Brad Hennessey pitched seven shutout innings in a spot start and Michael Tucker hit a fifth-inning single to break a scoreless tie, leading the San Francisco Giants over the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 Saturday.

Ray Durham added two hits and scored a run for the Giants, who won for the third time in four games, on a day they honored retired closer Robb Nen in a pregame ceremony.

Hennessey (3-2), recalled late Friday to start in place of struggling lefty Kirk Rueter, made his sixth start of the season and 13th of his career.

He earned his first win since May 12 at Houston and ended a two-start losing streak. The right-hander impressed the Giants with a strong June in the minors, going 3-0 in five starts.

The 25-year-old Hennessey outpitched Matt Morris (10-2), who was trying to win his third straight start and move closer to his 100th career victory – he’s still three wins away.

Tyler Walker pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 13 opportunities to complete the three-hitter

A day after Mark Mulder pitched seven shutout innings for his 10th win of the year in a 3-1 St. Louis victory, Hennessey hung tough. He went to 3-1 counts on three of the first four St. Louis batters, including walking Jim Edmonds.

Hennessey also gave up a first-inning single to Albert Pujols, then faced the minimum in each of the next five innings. He got two double plays and retired 11 straight during one stretch.

He allowed three hits, struck out two and walked one in place of Rueter, demoted to the bullpen Wednesday after his winless stretch reached nine starts in Monday’s 11-10 loss to the Reds.

Morris faced the minimum through four before allowing three straight singles to start the fifth, including a line drive to right by Tucker that put San Francisco ahead. Pedro Feliz grounded into a double play to drive in a run moments later and make it 2-0.

Morris threw just 93 pitches in eight effective innings. He allowed six hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter for the third straight start.

The Cardinals had won five out of six and six of eight, but couldn’t muster enough offense. After working the count to 3-2 against Hennessey in the sixth, So Taguchi fouled off nine pitches before grounding into a 6-4-3 double play.

Moises Alou, the Giants’ lone representative in next week’s All-Star game in Detroit, had two hits. His managing father is a coach on Tony La Russa’s NL staff.

Mike Mahoney started at catcher for St. Louis a day after being recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

Notes: LaTroy Hawkins pitched his second perfect inning in as many outings with a 1-2-3 eighth. … The Giants didn’t strand a runner until the seventh. … It was Hennessey’s first career appearance vs. St. Louis. … Before the game, the Cardinals activated LHP Randy Flores from the 15-day disabled list and optioned LHP Carmen Cali to Triple-A Memphis. … St. Louis C Yadier Molina missed his second straight game after getting hit on the left hand batting in the eighth inning Thursday at Arizona. Tests revealed a small, non-displaced hairline fracture of his fifth metacarpal. … The game drew 42,423 for the waterfront ballpark’s 10th sellout this year. … This was the Giants’ 9,999th victory in franchise history.

AP-ES-07-09-05 1823EDT