St. Louis 11, San Diego 2
When: 8:40 PM ET, Saturday, April 23, 2016
Where: Petco Park, San Diego, California
Temperature:
68°
Umpires:
Home -
Tim Timmons, 1B -
Sean Barber, 2B -
Jordan Baker, 3B -
Mike Everitt
Attendance:
31688
By The Sports Xchange
SAN DIEGO -- Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a three-run, tie-breaking, pinch-hit homer in the top of the seventh Saturday night and former Padre Jedd Gyorko added a three-run homer an inning later to power the St. Louis Cardinals to an 11-2 victory over San Diego at Petco Park.
Both homers were off former Cardinals reliever Carlos Villanueva.
Hazelbaker, who was hitless in his 17 previous at-bats, drove a 1-2 pitch from Villanueva 421 feet to right-center to snap a 2-2 tie and cap a four-run inning against the Padres bullpen. The homer was Hazelbaker's fourth of the season.
The Cardinals entered the seventh trailing 2-1.
Catcher Yadier Molina opened the inning by drawing a walk from Padres reliever Kevin Quackenbush and moved to second when Gyorko hit a liner back at Quackenbush, who dropped the ball before throwing Gyorko out at first.
Shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who had five hits in the game, topped a single up the third baseline and pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter greeted left-handed reliever Brad Hand with a game-tying single to center.
That set the stage for Hazelbaker and Villanueva.
Gyorko rubbed salt in the wound an inning later with a 431-foot drive into the left-field grandstand off Villanueva to extend the lead to 8-2.
Diaz hit a two-run double in the ninth off Luis Perdomo for his sixth straight hit in the first two games of the series.
Right-hander Michael Wacha (2-0) allowed two runs on four hits and four walks over six innings to pick up the win. Quackenbush (1-1) suffered the loss.
Right-hander Cesar Vargas, making his major league debut, held the Cardinals scoreless on four hits through five innings.
The 24-year-old native of Puebla, Mexico, was signed as a minor league free agent last winter after being released by the Yankees organization. He spent most of spring training with the Padres and had a 1.42 earned run average with 14 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings for Double-A San Antonio before being called up when left-handed starter Robbie Erlin was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left forearm strain.
But Vargas' fairy-tale start came to an end when Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty opened the top of the sixth with a 397-foot homer into the left-field seats. Vargas departed after walking the next hitter, left fielder Matt Holliday, on a full-count pitch.
Vargas allowed one run in his major league debut on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five innings plus two hitters. He threw 88 pitches with 48 going for strikes.
The Padres took a 1-0 lead by scoring a first-inning run for the second straight game after scoring in the first only once in their first 16 games.
First baseman Wil Myers singled to right off Wacha and moved to third on right fielder Matt Kemp's ground-rule double to right-center. Myers scored on a sacrifice fly to right by left fielder Melvin Upton Jr.
A third-inning single by Padres center fielder Jon Jay was the only other hit off Wacha until Kemp opened the bottom of the sixth with a double into the left-field corner. Upton drew a walk in a nine-pitch duel with Wacha and the runners advanced on third baseman Brett Wallace's ground out to first.
Kemp scored on a sacrifice fly to center by shortstop Alexei Ramirez after Wacha intentionally walked catcher Derek Norris to load the bases with one out to give the Padres a short-lived 2-1 lead.
NOTES: The Padres placed INF Alexi Amarista on the 15-day disabled list Saturday to open space for RHP Cesar Vargas on the 25-man roster. Amarista joins 3B Yangervis Solarte and 2B Cory Spangenberg as one of three infielders on the club's disabled list. ... Cardinals manager Mike Matheny gave 3B Matt Carpenter his first night off Saturday "because he's scuffling" and used 2B Kolten Wong in the leadoff slot for the first time this season while giving former Padre Jedd Gyorko his first start at 3B. Gyorko started his minor league career as a third baseman in the Padres organization.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| St. Louis
|
16 |
3 |
28 |
.400 |
15 |
4 |
11 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
| San Diego
|
5 |
0 |
7 |
.172 |
13 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
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