Saturday’s Game Report: Padres 12, Cardinals 2
There was a brief feeling of optimism about the struggling Cardinals offense on Saturday night when Tommy Edman led off the game in San Diego with a home run.
The key word is brief.
Edman’s homer, which came on the fourth pitch of the game, gave the Cardinals’ their first run in the first inning in their last 11 games. But by the time the Cardinals got their next hit, in the sixth inning, they trailed the Padres 9-1 en route to their fifth consecutive loss, their longest losing streak they lost seven games in a row in June of 2017.
The Padres scored seven runs off Dakota Hudson in the second inning to break the game open. Only one of the runs was earned as Hudson’s throwing error helped lead to the big inning.
Manny Machado and Franmil Reyes became the first two Padres to hit two homers in the same game against the Cardinals before Fernando Tatis Jr. also homered as the Padres tied their team record for most homers in a game against the Cardinals. The only other two times they hit five homers were both in 1993.
The loss dropped the Cardinals one game below .500, at 40-41, at the midpoint of the season.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: Edman was the first Cardinal to lead off a game in San Diego with a home run since Lonnie Smith on June 28, 1984. He also was the first rookie to hit a leadoff homer for the Cardinals since Bo Hart in 2003 … That was the Cardinals only hit until a one-out single by Jose Martinez in the sixth … They scored their second run in the eighth when Edman reached on an error and scored on a double by Yairo Munoz …. Tyler O’Neill got the start in left field in place of the injured Marcell Ozuna and struck out three times … Paul Goldschmidt moved into the cleanup spot and was 0-of-4. He has six hits in his last 42 at-bats and only two RBIs … Edman was in the lineup in place of Matt Carpenter for the third consecutive game.
On the mound: The Padres first three runs off Hudson in the second inning scored with only one ball, a bloop single to shallow center, being hit out of the infield. He got himself in trouble with a hit batter, a walk and his throwing error before Machado hit a three-run homer and Reyes went back-to-back to knock Hudson out of the game … Daniel Ponce de Leon relieved and worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two homers, but striking out nine. It’s the most strikeouts by a Cardinals reliever since Al Hrabosky also struck out nine on Sept. 24, 1974 … Dominic Leone gave up the final Padres homer in the eighth. It was the second time this season the Cardinals have allowed five homers in a game.
Key stat: Without Ozuna in the lineup and his 62 RBIs, the Cardinals do not have a player with more than 36 RBIs this season (Paul DeJong). There are 55 players in the National League with at least 37 RBIs.
Worth noting: The Cardinals said Ozuna has small fractures at the base of his third and fourth fingers, the injury occurring on Friday night when he dove back into first base on a pickoff throw. Ozuna was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, and reliever John Brebbia also left the team to return to his home in Atlanta, where his wife is expecting their first child. Ozuna will return to St. Louis to see a hand specialist, and the Cardinals should have a better idea about how long he will be out following that examination … O’Neill and Lane Thomas were recalled from Memphis … Ozuna had been considered the Cardinals leading candidate to make the All-Star team. The pitchers and reserves are scheduled to be announced on Sunday.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Sunday in the final game of the series as the Cardinals try to avoid being swept in San Diego for the first time since 2012.
