Friday night’s game between the Cardinals and Padres did not even remotely go in the favor of the visitors. While only trailing by two runs in the seventh inning, the Cardinals saw a 5-3 deficit turn into a 9-3 deficit in a matter of minutes.
And on Saturday night, they looked to bounce back and tie the series up, as they sent one of their top pitchers to the mound. But it wasn’t the case, as San Diego shutout St. Louis 8-0, thanks strongly to tough pitching from the Padres.
The pitching match-up for the second game of the series featured Carlos Martinez (12-5, 2.78 ERA), and Ian Kennedy (7-11, 4.20).
Right from the start, Kennedy was on a roll, striking out four batters in just two innings, and allowing only one base-runner in the process (a walk issued to Jason Heyward in the top of the second inning). Meanwhile, Martinez’s major struggle… allowing too many on base, continued, although he was able to get out of the multiple jams early on.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the score still tied at 0-0, the Padres finally got on the board. Travis Jankowski grounded out in the middle of the inning to score Derek Norris to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. Martinez, though, would only allow the one run in the inning.
However, in the seventh inning, things went from bad to worse for the Cardinals.
Alexi Amarista led off with a single. Jankowski hit a bunt single next, bringing up Yonder Alonso, who was issued a walk by Randy Choate. With Choate in the game for Martinez, the final line of the game for him was: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks. Matt Kemp singled scoring Amarista as well as Jankowski to make it 3-0 Padres. Justin Upton followed with a double to score Alonso and Kemp as it suddenly became 5-0. Later, a double by Clint Barmes scored Upton as it became 6-0. Once again, Amarista singled, scoring a run, and Jankowski capped off the inning by hitting an RBI single.
Suddenly it was 8-0. And the Cardinals had no answer to it.
Kennedy improved to 8-11 with the win, as Martinez dropped to 12-6. Also, the divisional lead held by the Cardinals shrunk to 3.5 games after the loss, as they fell to 77-45.
In the series finale on Sunday, Michael Wacha will get the start.
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
