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Brandon Crawford had to think on his feet. 

The Cardinals infielder, filling in for Nolan Arenado at third base, stayed back to field a sharply hit ground ball in the top of the eighth inning. His decision left two options to end the inning — either attempt a throw to nab a runner across the diamond or win a race to third base against one of his former teammates. 

Crawford, only in his second career appearance at third base, chose to run and his quick-thinking helped the Cardinals preserve a one-run lead en route to a 5-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 37,492 at Busch Stadium. 

"That one was tough," Crawford said. "I wanted try and just get the out at third because I know (Heliot Ramos) gets down the line pretty good. So, fortunately, I got there just in time."

A key contributor on the Giants for 13 seasons, Crawford found himself in the spotlight against his former team following an uncharacteristic meltdown from the Cardinals' bullpen.

Following seven innings of one-run, one-hit ball from starting pitcher Sonny Gray, reliever Jojo Romero walked two of the first three hitters he faced in the eighth inning. Andrew Kittredge relieved Romero after the second of those walks, immediately giving up a run-scoring ground-rule double by Wilmer Flores and a sacrifice fly to Austin Slater. With the two swings, the Cardinals' lead shrunk to 4-3.

Giants leadoff hitter Brett Wisely then reached on a four-pitch walk, setting the stage for Ramos to flip the game. San Francisco's two-hole hitter chopped the third pitch of his at-bat over the third-base bag, and Crawford raced to the base to tag it for a force out just ahead of Flores' slide. The Giants challenged the ruling on the field, and it was upheld to end the threat.

"I just knew I had to stay back because worst case (is that) the bases are loaded if I don't get that out," Crawford said. "But I needed to make sure it wasn't going to go by me, so I had to get the big hop and wait a little longer than I wanted to, but still got the out."

The head's-up defensive play marked the first of two season-defining moments for Crawford in the win, which gave the Cardinals a sweep of the three game series. 

In the home half of the eighth inning, Crawford picked up his first hit and RBI at Busch Stadium as a member of the Cardinals on a double down the right-field line to make it 5-3. The 37-year-old went one for three with the double and a walk and has a hit in five of the past six games in which he has appeared. 

The double, his first against a left-handed pitcher this season, provided an insurance run for the Cardinals. 

"I was happy to contribute," Crawford said. "No matter who we're playing against, to be able to get a big out and then contribute with a bat is also a great feeling."

Crawford's season did not start as ideal as he would have liked, though. The Mountain View, California, native signed with the Cardinals late in spring training, limiting his ability to have live in-game reps and acclimate to a new environment. He had just three hits in his first 31 at-bats as a Cardinal, a stretch in which he managed a lackluster .177 on-base percentage and a .097 on-base plus slugging mark. 

However, Crawford has shown what he is capable of doing in the back-up role of over his past six appearances. Since May 30, he is hitting .400 (six for 15) with a home run, three doubles, three RBIs and four walks. 

"We have to remember he didn't have a spring training," Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said after the game Sunday. "He came in, and it's tough to just do that role for the first time and then to not have a spring to prepare for it — you double down on the difficulty of it. As he's gotten more at-bats under his belt and just found a routine that suits the role, I think we're seeing a much better version of him."

Despite the early struggles at the plate and limited playing time early on, Crawford has found ways to still influence the Cardinals off the field.

Gray and catcher Pedro Pages lauded Crawford's leadership within the clubhouse, specifically noting the veteran's attitude and actions. 

"He's great, not getting a lot of playing time, but he just does not waver ever," Gray said. "He's won three World Series. He knows what (success) looks like ... On an everyday basis, he leads by example."

"He's phenomenal out there," Pages said, "always keeping a positive mindset and working hard."

For the Cardinals, who find themselves saddled in the second wild-card playoff spot in the National League with a 39-37 record, Crawford's turnaround is coming at an ideal time. The team could have catcher Willson Contreras back as soon as Monday, and it owns the best record in the National League since May 12 (24-13). 

His ability to slot in a third base also provides depth behind Arenado, who received an injection to treat nerve irritation in his left forearm. Arenado was injured on a check-swing Saturday and was unavailable Sunday. 

Even with Arenado's uncertainty, though, Crawford thinks he is trending in the right direction. 

"The last month has felt a lot more like me than the first month," Crawford said. "That was tough, but I feel a lot better at the plate, even better on defense."