MLB GAME RECAP

Cardinals complete sweep of Padres

The Sports Xchange

July 21, 2016 at 10:52 pm.

Jul 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (36) hits a one run triple off of San Diego Padres relief pitcher Carlos Villanueva (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Jul 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (36) hits a one run triple off of San Diego Padres relief pitcher Carlos Villanueva (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Bucky Dent, Sports Xchange

ST. LOUIS — Down by four runs with six outs left, the St. Louis Cardinals concocted a stunning comeback Thursday night and swept a four-game series from the San Diego Padres 6-5.

Aledmys Diaz was the hero, slashing an RBI single for the winning run as St. Louis won four straight games at home for the first time this year.

Tommy Pham started the winning rally with a double off Carlos Villanueva (1-1). After an intentional walk to Greg Garcia, Jeremy Hazelbaker sacrificed both runners up 90 feet. Following a second intentional walk to Jedd Gyorko, Diaz lined a 3-2 pitch into left to score Pham.

Jonathan Broxton (2-2) pitched a clean ninth for the win as St. Louis (51-44) stayed within a game of Miami for the National League’s second wild-card spot. San Diego (41-55) fell to 10-28 since the opening of Busch Stadium III in 2006.

After Aledmys Diaz’s two-out RBI single in the sixth drew the Cardinals within 2-1, the Padres appeared to take control. Alexei Ramirez’s RBI double in the seventh, followed by pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson’s run-producing single, made it 4-1.

San Diego upped its lead to 5-1 when Yangervis Solarte led off the eighth with his 10th homer, marking the 19th consecutive game in which the Padres went deep. That’s the longest streak of its kind in the National League since Milwaukee homered in 20 straight games in 2008.

But St. Louis victimized Ryan Buchter in its half of the eighth. After Gyorko’s RBI single cut the margin to three runs, Stephen Piscotty tied it with a three-run homer to right-center that fell just beyond the glove of leaping center fielder Travis Jankowski.

Neither starter was involved in the decision despite pitching well. San Diego’s Andrew Cashner lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up just three hits and a run with no walks and eight strikeouts. St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright worked six innings, allowing two runs off seven hits and fanning eight.

Cashner’s last pitch struck left fielder Matt Holliday in the nose, forcing him to leave the game. Holliday was diagnosed with a facial abrasion but no fractures, and the Cardinals consider him to be day-to-day.

Neither team scored until the top of the fifth, when San Diego snapped Adam Wainwright’s scoreless streak at 18 1/3 innings. Alexei Ramirez lined a one-out single to left that scored Ryan Schimpf, who led off with a double.

One out later, Travis Jankowski laced an RBI double to left-center that plated Ramirez, although Jankowski was easily nailed trying to stretch the hit into a triple, ending the inning.

Meanwhile, Cashner retired the first 13 men he faced before Yadier Molina looped a single to left in the fifth. Cashner fanned Tommy Pham to end the inning after a rare steal of second by Molina.

NOTES: San Diego activated INF Brett Wallace from the paternity list and optioned INF Alexi Amarista to Triple-A El Paso. Wallace’s wife, gave birth to the couple’s first child Monday. … St. Louis optioned LHP Dean Kiekhefer to Triple-A Memphis. Kiekhefer was the team’s 26th man for Wednesday’s day-night doubleheader. … The Padres sent LHP Keith Hessler, their 26th man on Wednesday, to Triple-A El Paso.

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