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Padres lead late rally as Cardinals fall 4-3

Aug 24, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) points to second baseman Kolten Wong (not pictured) after Wong made a play to end the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Asuaje's RBI single in the ninth inning gave San Diego the lead and Jose Pirela's sacrifice fly proved to be the game-winner as the Padres rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Thursday night.

Asuaje's hit, his third of the game, off Zach Duke scored Jabari Blash. Neither Duke nor Sam Tuivailala (3-2) recorded an out in relief in the ninth for a Cardinals bullpen that surrendered 12 runs in seven innings during the series.

Luis Perdomo gave up two runs in six innings, tying Jhoulys Chacin for the Padres team lead with 13 quality starts. Perdomo, who was claimed off the Cardinals farm system by Colorado in the 2015 Rule 5 draft, was lifted for pinch-hitter Allen Cordoba, whom the Padres plucked from the Cardinals' system in the 2016 Rule 5 draft.

Kirby Yates (3-4) pitched the Padres out of an eighth-inning jam and Brad Hand earned his 12th save in 16 attempts as the Padres won their first series at St. Louis since April 2011.

Matt Szczur's infield single scored Asuaje to give the Padres a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez appeared to pitch out of a bases loaded, no-out jam one batter before by enticing Cory Spangenberg to ground back to him, but Martinez's throw home sailed over Yadier Molina's head allowing Manuel Margot to score.

Margot, Asuaje and Pirela combined for seven hits and three walks.

Just one of the two runs Martinez gave up through seven was earned. Martinez struck out six, including the side in the fifth on 10 pitches.

Jedd Gyorko's RBI single gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the fourth. It was Gyorko's 16th RBI in 10 career games against his former team and the ninth consecutive game with an RBI against the Padres.

Randal Grichuk homered in the ninth off Hand.

WEB GEMS

Grichuk made a diving catch in right field to rob Perdomo of a single in the third.

Kolten Wong saved two runs in the sixth by snagging Luis Torrens' hard grounder up the middle and throwing off balance to first to end the Padres' rally.

TAKE A BOW

Padres bench coach Mark McGwire received a standing ovation from the 38,726 at Busch Stadium while being honored in the middle of the sixth for his upcoming induction into the Cardinals' Hall of Fame on Saturday.

TRAINING ROOM

Padres: RHP Chacin had swelling in his pitching hand after getting jammed batting on Wednesday and is day to day.

Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter (virus) missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Travis Wood (3-4, 5.81 ERA) opens a three-game set at Miami and LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 4.93 ERA). Wood pitched a season-high seven innings in his last start, his longest outing since April 28, 2015.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (9-6, 4.08 ERA) opens a three-game interleague series against Tampa Bay and RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.74 ERA). Wacha has received just one run of support in four of his last five starts.

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