Sunday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Padres 3 (11 innings)
As the Cardinals’ offense sneezed and coughed throughout June, trying to overcome a lingering illness, the one cure that had been missing was a timely hit.
On the final day of the month, Matt Wieters came through at just the right time.
Wieters, who had been hitless in 19 right-handed at-bats this season, launched a two-run bomb which delivered the 11-inning win over the Padres on Sunday in San Diego.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak during which the Cardinals had scored in only five of 45 innings. Only twice over that span had they scored more than one run in an inning.
It also was the Cardinals’ first home run with at least one runner on base in 11 games.
The Cardinals finished June with a 13-13 record and actually gained a half game in the standings over the month, going from 3 ½ games out of first place when the month started to three games out when it ended.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals trailed 3-0 before scoring twice in the sixth when Yairo Munoz, starting at third base, delivered a two-run, bases-loaded single … They tied the game in the eighth on a pair of singles and two San Diego errors … In the 11th, Kolten Wong beat out an infield hit with two outs before Wieters launched his fourth homer of the year. Wieters had just two hits in 32 at-bats in June, and only one RBI, before the home run. It was their second homer in the 11th inning this year, the first Paul Goldschmidt’s walkoff homer over the Marlins on June 19 … It was the fifth extra-inning homer for Wieters in his career and the first since July 27, 2015, also in the 11th inning, when he was with the Orioles … After getting only four hits in 30 at-bats with runners in scoring position in their last four games, the Cardinals were 2-of-7 on Sunday.
On the mound: The Padres built their 3-0 lead against starter Miles Mikolas, who allowed a two-run homer to Manny Machado in the first inning and another run in the fifth, when Fernando Tatis Jr. scored from first on a single … Six relievers combined to shut out the Padres over the final five innings. Carlos Martinez was able to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth on a double play and then struck out the side in the ninth … Dominic Leone got the final two outs to earn his first save.
Key stat: None of the five teams in the NL Central had a winning record in June with the Brewers matching the Cardinals for the best record in the division with a 13-13 record for the month. The Cubs were 14-15, the Reds 11-13 and the Pirates 11-15.
Worth noting: The reserves and pitchers for the All-Star game were announced on Sunday with Paul DeJong the only player selected from the Cardinals. It is DeJong’s first All-Star selection … Wieters’ homer was the first hit in extra innings by the Cardinals in San Diego since Jack Clark homered in the 10th inning on July 19, 1987 … Matt Carpenter missed his fourth consecutive game. He was in the original lineup on Sunday but was a late scratch because of illness … The Cardinals finished May with a .223 average for the month and scored 92 runs in their 26 games, an average of 3.5 runs a game.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will have the day off on Monday before opening a three-game series on Tuesday night in Seattle.
