The San Diego Padres are turning to be the last team a playoff contender really wants to play.
Logan Forsythe and Alexi Amarista had key hits inside a five-run 4th inning, and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Tuesday evening, delivering the slouching World Series champions for their tenth reduction in 14 games.
St. Louis maintained a 1-game lead over the La Dodgers for the NL’s second wild-card berth but dropped 10 1/2 games behind Cincinnati in the NL Central.
The Padres, who’ve won 16 of 21 overall, have taken six of the last seven series using their two wins over the Cardinals. San Diego is 10-4 against teams with winning records since August. 17.
”We’re playing good ball at this time,” Forsythe stated. ”Big hits in large situations. We are getting fun.”
Forsythe, a homer shy of the cycle in Monday night’s 11-3 conquer St. Louis, bending in 2 runs and Amarista added a 2-run triple as San Diego removed a couple- deficit in the 4th.
”If we play a great ballgame against teams which are fighting for any (playoff) place, it is a great chance to learn and let us them understand how they measure,” Padres manager Bud Black stated.
Edinson Volquez (10-10) permitted three runs – two gained – and 4 hits in five 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking six. He’s a job-high 100 walks, the most in the majors this year.
Luke Gregerson pitched 1 2-3 innings for his sixth save in 10 chances, finishing San Diego’s 16th win in 21 games.
Adam Wainwright (13-13), hurt by rookie shortstop Pete Kozma’s error in the 4th, threw in the towel five runs – two gained – five hits and 4 walks in six innings. He’d been 3-1 having a 1.07 ERA in seven career looks against San Diego.
St. Louis only agreed to be 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners. The Cardinals have forfeit seven of the last eight road games.
”The final point here is we must win, no matter if the other teams in contention are losing or otherwise,” Cardinals third baseman David Freese stated.
”This is a great chance to elongate our lead in the standings and we’re not doing the work. It’s putting more pressure about this team and permitting other teams to hang in there,” he stated.
With St. Louis ahead 2- in the 4th, San Diego loaded the bases with one out when Kozma put extremely on Will Venable’s grounder, and Chase Headley and Yasmani Grandal arrived at with an infield single. Yonder Alonso stepped onto a complete-count pitch, forcing inside a run, and Forsythe hit a 2-run double to right-center for any 3-2 lead.
After Alonso got tossed out in your own home attempting to score on Cameron Maybin’s grounder to second baseman Skip Schumaker, Amarista hit a 2-run triple into the right-area corner.
Jon Jay’s RBI single in the sixth off Joe Thatcher and Freese’s seventh-inning homer against Kaira Brach drawn the Cardinals to five-4. Cameron Maybin had an RBI single off Edward Mujica in the eighth.
St. Louis loaded the bases without any outs in the second but obtained just one run, on Schumaker’s groundout. Volquez got out the jam through getting Kozma to ground right into a double play. Shortstop Everth Cabrera’s error on Yadier Molina’s grounder permitted Jay to attain in the third.
Alonso, who walked three occasions, hit his 34th double of the season in the eighth, breaking the San Diego rookie record set by Benito Santiago later.
NOTES: Wainwright’s only other loss to the Padres came at San Diego on May 25, 2010, as he tied a job high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings inside a 1- loss. … Wainwright had walked just 43 batters in the previous 28 begins over 173 2-3 innings. … Padres LF Carlos Quentin, who had been taken off Monday night’s game, was from the beginning selection Tuesday having a sore right knee. … Cardinals RHP Kyle Lohse (14-2, 2.81 ERA) opposes Padres LHP Clayton Richard (12-12, 3.78) in the series finale Wednesday.
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