Cardinals pile further misery on Padres
Carlos Beltran hit a crucial two-run homer in the fifth inning and David Freese added a solo blast in the seventh, to help the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-3 win and complete a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres.
Freese knocked in two runs and Lance Lynn (7-1) gave up eight hits and three runs, all in the opening inning, for the Cardinals, who had lost four in a row coming into this series. Jason Motte picked up his eighth save.
“I’m going to keep trying to get wins when I’m out there or do everything I can to put us in a situation to win,” Lynn said.
Jeff Suppan (2-3) allowed eight hits and five runs along with four walks over 4 2/3 innings for the Padres, losers in five of their last seven contests.
Will Venable hit the game’s second pitch over the wall in right field and the Padres added two more runs in the opening frame, only to give them back in the bottom half of the match.
Chase Headley singled in Yonder Alonso and Nick Hundley’s ground ball plated Jesus Guzman in the top of the first. The third run came mainly because Lynn was late covering first base on a potential double play.
Skip Schumaker doubled home Rafael Furcal, who walked leading off the bottom of the opening frame. Freese singled to left to drive home the second run and then consecutive singles from Yadier Molina and Matt Adams produced the tying score. Adams, whose base hit went to right field, recorded his first career RBI.
“The offense did a great job scoring early and I needed to do a better job in that first inning,” Suppan said.
Lynn fanned Everth Cabrera to leave the bases full in the third. Lynn gave up a double to Venable with one out in the next inning, but retired both Cameron Maybin and Alonso to escape the jam.
The Cardinals stranded a runner in the fourth, but went ahead in the fifth. Just after Matt Holliday led off with a single, Beltran took Suppan’s 0-1 offering over the wall in right field for his National League-leading 14th homer of the year.
Freese homered to left off Brad Brach in the seventh to put the finishing touch on a convincing win for the Cardinals.
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