San Diego @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2010 ) San Diego 8, St. Louis 4
It took them over three years, but the San Diego Padres finally earned a victory at Busch Stadium. Jon Garland is looking to make it two in a row.
Garland tries for his fourth straight road win today when the Padres take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of their four-game series.
Winless at Busch Stadium since August 7, 2007, San Diego snapped its 11-game losing streak here on Saturday as the Cardinals were done in by a former teammate. Ryan Ludwick, who was acquired from St. Louis on July 31, belted a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to snap a 4-4 tie.
It was the 16th shot of the year and fifth as a Padre for Ludwick, who is 5-for-11 in his first series against his former club.
Matt Stairs put an exclamation point on the triumph, following Ludwick's blast with his fifth of the season and major league-record 23rd as a pinch-hitter.
Chris Young made his first start for San Diego since April 6, allowing one run and three hits over four innings in his return from a strained right shoulder. Young walked three and struck out three but did not figure in the decision.
The victory, combined with San Francisco's loss to Milwaukee, moved San Diego back into first place in the National League Central. The Padres are one-half game ahead of the Giants and one game in front of the Colorado Rockies.
The Padres, who are 24-9 against NL Central opponents, hope to gain a split of the series behind Garland. The 30-year-old veteran halted a personal three-game slide on Tuesday, yielding three runs - two earned - and four hits in seven innings en route to a 7-6 victory at Colorado.
Garland (14-11) owns a 1-3 record and 4.98 ERA in four career starts vs. the Cardinals. He was brilliant on May 25, limiting St. Louis to six hits over seven innings in a 1-0 triumph.
In 14 road outings this year, Garland is 7-6 with a 3.92 ERA.
Opposing Garland today will be Adam Wainwright, who was on the losing end of the pitchers' duel on May 25 despite giving up just one run and four hits in seven innings while recording a season-high 12 strikeouts.
The 29-year-old Wainwright (18-11) appeared to be the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award before a recent slide that has seen him lose five of his last six outings. On Tuesday, he surrendered five runs and 12 hits in eight innings of a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Wainwright, who is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA in five career games - three relief appearances - against the Padres, has gone 11-3 with a 1.83 ERA in 15 starts at home this year.
Saturday's loss, which saw St. Louis score two runs on wild pitches, was the Cardinals' eighth in 12 contests. It dropped them seven games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central with 15 to play.