Padres on Deck vs. Giants, Game 2 of 3 (Series 0-1)

Padres Look to Rebound With Peavy
San Francisco (45-63) at San Diego (42-68), 7:05 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- After getting an extra day off following a demanding performance his last time out, Jake Peavy would like nothing better than to wear out the San Francisco Giants. Pitching on five days' rest, Peavy gets his first home start in nearly a month when the San Diego Padres face the Giants on Saturday.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, coming off a season-high 127-pitch outing in a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, has already spent a month on the disabled list with a strained right elbow. With the Padres owning the second-worst record in the NL, San Diego elected to give Peavy (8-6, 2.67 ERA) an extra day to recover after yielding a run and four hits with 10 strikeouts against the Pirates. The righthander will get the chance to continue his dominance in Petco Park, where he sports a 1.45 ERA in nine starts but has not pitched in since July 11, and of the Giants, against whom he is 11-6 with a 3.27 ERA.

He'll be paired up with another former Cy Young Award winner, Barry Zito (5-13, 5.80) , who won American League honors in 2002. However, the lefthander matched his career high in losses on Sunday with his major league-leading 13th after surrendering six runs and six hits with five walks over five innings in a 7-2 setback to Arizona.

Padres On Deck vs. D-Backs, Game 3 of 3 (Series 1-1)

Arizona (54-52) at San Diego (42-66), 7:05 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

Padres Try to Take Series Victory Tonight

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Dan Haren will look to win his third consecutive start on Wednesday when the Arizona Diamondbacks conclude a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.

Haren (10-5, 2.56 ERA), who has not allowed more than two runs in each of his last nine outings, gave up two runs with nine strikeouts over eight innings during Friday's 10-2 triumph over the San Francisco Giants. The 27-year-old Haren's lone loss over the last two months came against the Padres on July 4. He yielded two runs over seven frames in a 5-1 setback, which ended a three-game winning streak.

Haren will now turn his attention to building off Doug Davis' impressive performance in Tuesday's 3-0 victory over San Diego. Davis took a perfect game into the seventh and pitched 7 2/3 innings, ending the Padres' four-game winning streak.

San Diego will counter with righthander Cha Seung Baek (3-4, 4.86), who gave up four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 frames in Friday's 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arizona, which holds a one-game advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers (53-53) atop the National League West, has won four of its last five games and six of its previous eight contests.

Padres On Deck vs. D-Backs, Game 2 of 3 (Series 1-0)

Arizona (53-52) at San Diego (42-65), 7:05 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7
Young Returns To the Mound For Padres

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Chris Young will take the mound for the first time in more than two months on Tuesday when the San Diego Padres continue a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Young has been sidelined since May 21, when he was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of St. Louis Cardinals' slugger Albert Pujols.

The 6-10 Young (4-4, 4.50 ERA) suffered a broken nose and a small crack in his skull. Young last faced Arizona on April 19, but didn't factor in the 10-3 loss. He tossed six solid innings, allowing two runs and three hits before the Padres' bullpen imploded in the late frames.

Doug Davis (3-5, 4.22) will oppose Young with hopes of winning for the first time this month. The lefthander hasn't allowed more than four runs in nine of his past 10 starts, but the Diamondbacks have lost seven of those games. Davis faced San Diego on July 5 and was on the short end of a 4-2 loss. He tossed eight sterling innings, allowing three runs and seven hits while striking out seven, but was out-dueled by ace Jake Peavy.

On Monday in the series opener, starter Greg Maddux stole the show despite allowing four runs in five innings. The 42-year-old righthander moved past Hall of Famer Phil Niekro and took sole possession of 10th place on baseball's career strikeout list in the third inning by recording his 3,343rd strikeout in the third against Conor Jackson. Nick Hundley's three-run shot was the big blow as the Padres erased a 3-2 deficit and scored six runs in the third against Arizona starter Micah Owings to stake Maddux to a lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Padres on Deck vs. D-Backs

Arizona (53-51) at San Diego (41-65), 10:05pm, 4SD/1090/105.7
Maddux Seeks to End Losing Streak

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Greg Maddux hopes to end a dreadful winless streak when he takes the mound for the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Maddux (3-8, 4.18 ERA), who has 350 career victories, has not won since May 10 - a span of 14 starts. It is the longest stretch without a victory for the future Hall of Famer. The 42-year-old righthander did not factor in the decision in his last outing, giving up three runs - two earned - in 5 1/3 innings during San Diego's 9-5 setback to the Cincinnati Reds.

However, Maddux has not enjoyed much success against the Diamondbacks, going 2-11 with a 5.29 ERA. He was tagged for nine runs in seven innings during his last start against Arizona on April 18.

The Diamondbacks are coming off a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and will counter with the struggling Micah Owings (6-8, 5.40) on the hill. Owings is enduring a winless streak of his own as he hopes for his first victory since May 25. The 25-year-old righthander gave up five runs in one-third of an inning in his last appearance, which was an outing out of the bullpen against the Chicago Cubs on July 23. He has not made a start since July 9, which was a loss to Washington.

Padres On Deck @ Pirates, Game 4 of 4 (Series 2-1)

Padres Seek Series Win
San Diego (40-65) at Pittsburgh (48-56), 10:35 am, 4SD/1090/105.7

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The lowly San Diego Padres look to win their third consecutive game in the finale of a four-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday at PNC Park.

Jake Peavy (7-6, 2.76 ERA) will take the mound for the Padres with hopes of avoiding his seventh loss - one more than he had all of last season. In 2007, the powerful righthander went 19-6 with a 2.54 ERA while winning the National League Cy Young Award. Peavy is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last five starts against the Pirates, although he hasn't faced them since 2006.

The Pirates will counter with Paul Maholm (7-6, 3.92), who has quietly established himself as the club's ace. The 26-year-old is coming off a dominant outing against the Houston Astros on Tuesday in which he surrendered one run and five hits in eight sterling innings. He has also held opponents to three runs or less in eight of his last 10 starts.

After dropping a 9-1 decision on Thursday, the Padres have rattled off two straight wins against the Pirates, who traded outfielder Xavier Nady and lefthander Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees on Saturday. Adrian Gonzalez led Saturday's charge, belting a three-run homer and a solo shot. Kevin Kouzmanoff also hit a three-run homer and Nick Hundley added two hits, including his first career homer. Jason Michaels had a two-run homer and an RBI single on Saturday while teammate Adam LaRoche had a solo shot - his third homer of the series.

Padres on Deck @ Pirates, Game 3 of 4 (Series 1-1)

San Diego (39-65) at Pittsburgh (48-55), 4:05 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- After undergoing some changes to the roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates would like to see their amount of wins change as well. The Pirates reportedly dealt outfielder Xavier Nady and lefthander Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees on Friday before falling to the San Diego Padres.

With a new-look lineup, the Pirates hope to get back on the winning track on Saturday at PNC Park. John Van Benschoten (1-2, 8.27 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. The 28-year-old righthander has made four starts, but pitched at least five innings once. He faced the Houston Astros in his last start and allowed three runs and six hits in five starts - his best outing of the season.

San Diego counters with Josh Banks (3-4, 3.51), who hasn't won since May 31, when he threw a complete game and allowed one earned run against the San Francisco Giants. Banks has yet to allow more than four runs in a start, but has been a victim of poor run support. For San Diego, Adrian Gonzalez homered on Friday for the first time since July 5. He still is among the league leaders in homers (23) and RBI (78). So far this series, Kevin Koumanoff is 4-for-8 with a run and an RBI. He is also in the middle of a hot streak, collecting hits in nine of his last 10 games.

Padres on Deck @ Pirates, Game 2 of 4 (Series 0-1)

San Diego (38-65) at Pittsburgh (48-54), 4:05 p.m., 1090/105.7

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- A blistering offense has enabled the Pittsburgh Pirates to flip the switch from ice-cold to red-hot . The Pirates go for their fifth straight win on Friday when they face the San Diego Padres. After scoring 15 runs during a five-game slide earlier this month, the Pirates have rebounded by averaging 8.5 runs while posting a .355 batting average during the streak - their longest surge since winning six straight in early May. Jason Bay, Xavier Nady and Nate McLouth all homered during the series opener as the Pirates handed the Padres their ninth loss in the last 10 games, 9-1, on Thursday. Zach Duke (4-7, 4.92 ERA) looks to keep San Diego in check and keep Pittsburgh's winning streak alive. Duke has been terrible over his last three starts, allowing 20 runs - 19 earned - in 13 1/3 innings, posting an 0-2 record over that span. Cha Seung Baek (2-5, 4.94) toes the rubber for the Padres. Baek is 2-0 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 road appearances - three starts - between San Diego and the Seattle Mariners.

Pirates Rout Padres

PITTSBURGH 9, SAN DIEGO 1

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- It took three starts for rookie Yoslan Herrera to adjust to major league hitting. Herrera tossed six scoreless innings and Jason Bay, Xavier Nady and Nate McLouth all homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates posted their fourth straight win, a 9-1 triumph over the woeful San Diego Padres on Thursday night.

Herrera (1-1) had allowed 13 runs and 19 hits over six innings in his two prior outings since being recalled from Class AA Altoona. But despite his 19.50 ERA, he yielded only six hits and a walk against San Diego's meek offense for his first career win. The 28-year-old righthander was backed by an offense that has scored 34 runs and collected 54 hits in its past four games. Bay and Nady hit back-to-back home runs off Clay Hensley to start the fourth, staking the Pirates to a 4-0 lead. It marked the first time this season Pittsburgh had consecutive homers. Bay, whose 22nd homer surpassed his total for all of last season, now has 15 RBI in his past 10 games. He also drove in Freddy Sanchez with a sacrifice fly in the first.

The Pirates chased Hensley after the righthander allowed the first two batters in the sixth to reach. Recalled earlier in the day from Class AAA Portland, Justin Hampson entered and, following a single by Doug Mientkiewicz, walked pinch hitter Chris Gomez with the bases loaded. Two batters later, All-Star McLouth lifted a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 bulge. Adrian Gonzalez spoiled the shutout bid in the eighth with a two-out single that scored former Pirate Jody Gerut, who led off the frame with a double - the Padres' only extra-base hit. Luis Rivas delivered an RBI single in the bottom half and McLouth followed with his 21st home run, capping the scoring.

Hensley (1-1), who was making his first start of the season after beginning the year on the disabled list due to a right shoulder strain, allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings. The 28-year-old, who had made three relief appearances prior to Thursday, walked two and struck out a pair. Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff had two hits apiece for the Padres (38-65), who have lost 26 of 33 and own the worst record in baseball.

Padres on Deck @ Pirates, Game 1 of 4

San Diego (38-64) at Pittsburgh (47-54) 7:05 p.m./4SD/1090/105.7

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to build off a three-game sweep of division-rival Houston Astros when they take on the struggling San Diego Padres on Thursday. Pittsburgh pounded out 25 runs and 34 hits to move past the Astros and into fifth-place in the National League Central. The sweep followed four straight losses at Colorado after the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, San Diego continued their freefall in the lackluster NL West.Following a three-game series sweep by the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres have lost seven of eight and 25 of their last 32 to fall 12 1/2 behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres, owners of the worst record in baseball, took six of seven from the Pirates last season.

Yoslan Herrera (0-1, 19.50) makes his third career start for Pittsburgh. Last out, the 28-year-old righthander lasted 1 2/3 innings, surrendering seven runs on eight hits.

Clay Hensley (1-0, 0.00) will be making his first start for the Padres in place of recently traded Randy Wolf. Hensley has pitched five scoreless innings for San Diego in relief, including earning a win Monday night against the Reds after being recalled from Class AAA Portland on July 18. The 28-year-old lefthander had labrum surgery on his right shoulder in September. In his only previous start against the Pirates in 2006, Hensley struck out a career-high nine, allowing one run and seven hits over six innings.

Padres Activate Bard

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres activated catcher Josh Bard from the 15-day disabled list prior to Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 30-year-old Bard had been on the DL with a sprained left ankle since May 22, when he attempted to block the plate against St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols on May 21.

Bard played in nine rehab games between Class A Lake Elsinore and Class AAA Portland, hitting .125 (3-for-24) with one home run. Prior to the injury, Bard was hitting .200 (26-for-130) with seven RBI in 38 games.

The Padres also recalled lefthander Justin Hampson from Portland and optioned catcher Luke Carlin and lefthander Joe Thatcher to the Beavers. Hampson went 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in 10 games before being optioned to Portland on June 27. Carlin hit .188 (11-for-80) with two RBI in 30 games with San Diego, while Thatcher went 0-4 with a 8.42 ERA in 25 appearances.

Dunn Leads Reds Past Padres

CINCINNATI 9, SAN DIEGO 4

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Bronson Arroyo pitched seven solid innings and Adam Dunn belted a grand slam Wednesday as the Cincinnati Reds beat the San Diego Padres 9-4 in the rubber game of a three-game series. Arroyo (9-7) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven in seven innings to earn his fifth win in as many starts. The righthander has a 3.09 ERA in 32 innings in the five starts since allowing 10 runs in only one inning of work in Toronto on June 24th. The only blemishes on Arroyo's line were two home runs, a leadoff home run by Jody Gerut and a two-run shot by Kevin Kouzmanoff in the sixth. After San Diego reliever Joe Thatcher allowed an RBI double to Ken Griffey Jr. in the seventh, he walked Brandon Phillips intentionally to load the bases for Dunn. Dunn made Thatcher pay by driving a fastball 374 feet to right field for his ninth career grand slam. The home run also tied Dunn with Ryan Howard for the Major League lead with 29 home runs. Despite another solid outing, veteran righthander Greg Maddux was unable to secure his first win since May 10th. Maddux has a 4.55 ERA in 79.1 innings, stretching over 14 starts since May 10th, but no wins in that time frame. Maddux fell victim to a sixth inning rally as Phillips helped manufacture a run when he stole second base after a one out single, advanced to third after Khalil Greene mishandled a throw in a run-down and scored on an infield single by Dunn. Dunn would be the last batter of the afternoon for Maddux, who allowed three runs - two earned - on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, while striking out four. Edwin Encarnacion followed Dunn by taking the first pitch that he saw from reliever Cla Meredith (0-3) 368 feet to left field for his 19th home run of the season. Encarnacion has now homered in three of his last four games, and has six home runs in his last 11 games. Jeremy Affeldt allowed one unearned run in the eighth, and Todd Coffey retired only two batters and allowed one run in the ninth before giving way to Francisco Cordero for his 21st save of the season.

Padres Get Ledezma

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres on Wednesday purchased the contract of lefthander Wil Ledezma from Class AAA Portland. Ledezma, 27, was outrighted to Portland on June 12 after going 0-2 with a 5.04 ERA in 14 games - six starts - for San Diego this season. The lefthander went 1-0 with a 4.41 ERA and recorded one save in Portland.

Padres Deal Wolf

HOUSTON (Ticker) --The Houston Astros added a veteran arm to their rotation Tuesday, acquiring lefthander Randy Wolf from the San Diego Padres for minor league righthander Chad Reineke.

Wolf, 31, is 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts for the Padres this season. The 10-year veteran should bolster an inconsistent rotation which currently is without injured ace Roy Oswalt, who is sidelined with a hip injury. The move to pick up Wolf perhaps signals that the struggling Astros consider themselves postseason contenders in the National League. Mired in fifth place in the NL Central Division, Houston enters Tuesday's contest vs. Pittsburgh with a 46-53 record.

In Oswalt's absence, the Astros' rotation includes Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe, Brian Moehler and Runelvys Hernandez. Wolf has been scheduled to start for the Astros on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. "Randy is an experienced starter and a great competitor," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "We tried to sign him as a free agent during the offseason, but the chance for him to pitch close to home prevailed."

Wolf owns a career record of 84-76 with a 4.30 ERA in 233 career games, including 229 starts, with San Diego, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a National League All-Star in 2003, a season in which he went a career-best 16-10. "I've known Randy since the day he signed his first professional contract," Wade said. "I can say without hesitation that he brings every quality that you'd want in a member of your team, both on and off the field."

Reineke, 26, is 5-9 with a 4.41 ERA in 20 games -19 starts - for Class AAA Round Rock this season. He is 28-32 over five minor league seasons in Houston's organization with a 3.72 ERA in 149 career appearances.

Padres on Deck, Game 2 of 3 (Series 1-0)

San Diego (38-62) at Cincinnati (48-53), 4:10 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Jake Peavy has been his dominant self, consistently stifling offenses and striking out batters by the bushel. However, wins have been hard to come by and losses are coming at an alarming rate for the San Diego Padres' ace.

The righthander will take the mound on Tuesday looking to avoid his seventh loss - one more than all of last season - as the Padres face the Cincinnati Reds. Peavy (7-6, 2.66 ERA) was the National League Cy Young award-winner in 2007 when he posted a 19-6 record with 240 strikeouts. The Reds appeared set for a victory on Monday, but reliever Francisco Cordero surrendered three runs in the ninth to allow the Padres to steal a 6-4 triumph. Kevin Kouzmanoff highlighted the rally with a go-ahead, two-run double and Trevor Hoffman held off a threat in the bottom of the inning to notch his 18th save.

Johhny Cueto (7-9, 4.92) will face the Padres, who own the worst record in the major leagues. The 22-year-old is coming off a rough outing against the New York Mets in which he coughed up six runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings on Thursday. Jay Bruce extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 1-for-5 effort on Monday.

Padres End Losing Streak

SAN DIEGO 6, CINCINNATI 4

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Kevin Kouzmanoff laced a two-run double to highlight a three-run ninth inning and the San Diego Padres held on for a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Brian Giles had a two-out RBI groundout to tie the game against Reds reliever Francisco Cordero (4-3) and Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked before Kouzmanoff delivered. Scott Hairston hit his 16th homer in the seventh to cut the deficit to 4-3. Trevor Hoffman surrendered three consecutive singles to start the bottom of the ninth, but wiggled out of the jam to earn his 18th save. Ken Griffey Jr. blasted a two-run homer - the 606th of his career - against San Diego starter Josh Banks in the sixth to snap a 2-2 tie.

Padres on Deck @ Reds, Game 1 of 3

San Diego (37-62) at Cincinnati (48-52), 4:10 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres are struggling to find ways to win games. San Diego hopes to avoid a seventh straight loss when it visits the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

The Padres were swept in a four-game series at St. Louis over the weekend, in which the Cardinals won three of the games by coming from behind late in the contest. San Diego blew a five-run lead in a 6-5 setback on Saturday, and St. Louis scored seven runs in the final two innings in Sunday's 9-5 win, capped by Aaron Miles' game-winning grand slam. The Cardinals also scored four times in the bottom eighth Friday to win that game, 11-7.

Josh Banks (2-4, 3.20 ERA) will take the mound for the Padres looking for his first win since May 31. The righthander pitched out of the bullpen in his last outing, giving up a run in one inning. Banks took the loss in his last start, giving up three runs over six innings against Arizona on July 6.

The Reds, who split a four-game series with the New York Mets over the weekend, will counter with righthander Homer Bailey (0-3, 7.00). The 22-year-old lost his first three starts this season but is hoping to build off his last outing in which he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings at Milwaukee but did not factor in a 3-2 loss on July 13.

Walk-off Grand Slam Beats Padres

ST. LOUIS 9, SAN DIEGO 5

By Jim Walsh
Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Aaron Miles' walk-off grand slam erased a blown save by Jason Isringhausen and propelled the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-5 victory and a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

With one out in the ninth inning, Albert Pujols drew a walk and advanced to third when Padres catcher Luke Carlin threw the ball into right field trying to nail Pujols after a missed sacrifice by pitcher Brad Thompson. Yadier Molina pinch hit for Thompson and was intentionally walked along with Skip Schumaker to load the bases for Miles, who sent a 2-1 pitch from Brian Corey (1-2) into the Cardinals bullpen in right for his second career grand slam and first career walk-off homer. Troy Glaus looked to be the Cardinals hero in the eighth, when he connected for a three-run home run off of Heath Bell to give St. Louis a 5-3 lead. It was the third homer of the series and fourth in the last six games for Glaus, who is hitting .559 (19-for-34) during his current nine-game hitting streak.

Isringhausen was called upon to get his first save for the Cardinals since May 5 but the former closer was unable to shut the door, allowing a one-out single to Scott Hairston in front of a RBI double from Edgar Gonzalez to bring the Padres within one. Brian Giles followed with a single to place runners on first and third and knock Isringhausen out of the game. Thompson (2-2) was brought in to face Kevin Kouzmanoff, who lined a double to center to knot the score at 5-5 and place runners on second and third. Chase Headley was intentionally walked to load the base before Thompson got Carlin to ground into a force out at the plate and Adrian Gonzalez to line out to first to end the threat.

San Diego starter Cha Seung Baek was strong for 6 1/3 innings in the 95-degree heat, allowing two runs - one earned - while scattering six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The righthander retired 13 of 14 batters through the sixth inning before tiring in the seventh. Baek also contributed at the plate, connecting for his first major league home run, a two-run shot traveling 403 feet to the left-center field bleachers, to give the Padres a 3-1 edge in the fifth. It was only the second hit in 10 at-bats for the South Korean since coming to San Diego in June in a trade with Seattle.

Making his first major league start since being called up from Class AAA Memphis July 11, Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia was sharp for the most part over his five innings. The 22-year old lefthander, who set down 10 straight batters during one stretch, allowed three runs, five hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts. Hairston had three hits, including his 15th home run leading off the game, for the Padres, who lost their sixth straight.

Padres on Deck @ Cardinals, Game 4 of 4 (Series 0-3)

San Diego (37-61) at St. Louis (56-43) 2:15 pm, 4SD/1090/105.7

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Cardinals look to complete a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres when the teams meet in the series finale on Sunday.

The Cardinals, who have won four straight games, rallied from a five-run deficit Saturday to post a 6-5 victory and send the Padres to their fifth straight loss. St. Louis scored four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to take the lead. Albert Pujols had three hits and four RBI in the win and is batting .483 (14-for-29) in his last seven games.

Jaime Garcia (0-0, 0.00) will make his first major league start when he takes the mound for the Cardinals. The 22-year-old lefthander was called up on July 11, replacing the injured Mark Mulder, and threw two scoreless innings on that date in his only appearance.

The Padres will turn to Cha Seung Baek (2-5, 5.25) in hopes of turning around their recent struggles. The righthander came out of the bullpen in his last outing, allowing three and four hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Atlanta Braves on July 13.

Cards Nip Padres

ST. LOUIS 6, SAN DIEGO 5

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- With the St. Louis Cardinals down by five runs early in the game, starter Todd Wellemeyer settled down on the mound and Albert Pujols led the comeback. Pujols had three hits and four RBI as the Cardinals overcame a five-run deficit to record their fourth straight win, a 6-5 triumph over the San Diego Padres. St. Louis trailed, 5-0, after two innings but rallied with four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to take the lead.

Wellemeyer (8-4) bounced back after the rocky start, allowing five runs and five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Pujols started the comeback when he lined the first pitch he saw into the gap in left-center field, clearing the bases and cutting the deficit to 5-3. Two batters later, Rick Ankiel hit an RBI single to pull St. Louis within one. In the next inning, Cesar Izturis singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice before Brendan Ryan reached on an error by third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to put runners on the corners. Skip Schumaker tied the game with a groundout to shortstop and, after All-Star Ryan Ludwick walked, Pujols singled off the glove of shortstop Khalil Greene to give St. Louis a 6-5 advantage.

The Padres had a great chance to reclaim the lead in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out. But Ron Villone struck out All-Star Adrian Gonzalez and got Kouzmanoff to fly out to center. Ryan Franklin pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit and one walk en route to his 14th save. San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the first, when center fielder Ankiel could not handle Gonzalez's line drive, allowing Edgar Gonzalez to score from second. Kouzmanoff followed with a sacrifice fly to double the Padres' advantage. The Padres extended their lead to 5-0 in the top of the second, when Edgar Gonzalez blasted a three-run homer to left off Wellemeyer.

San Diego starter Randy Wolf (6-10) surrendered six runs - four earned - and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, losing for the sixth time in his last seven starts.

Padres on Deck @ Cardinals, Game 3 of 4 (Series 0-2)

San Diego (37-60) at St. Louis (55-43), 12:55 p.m., FOX/ 1090/105.7

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Albert Pujols isn't the only member of the St. Louis Cardinals to contribute to the offense. Pujols and the Cardinals go for their fourth straight win on Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

Pujols has posted a .440 (11-for-25) batting average over his last six games. Surprisingly, he has one homer and three RBI this month. However, the rest of the Cardinals lineup has stepped up. St. Louis has 39 home runs since June 19 - the most in the majors over that span. The team pounded four solo homers during the series-opening win against the Padres and added two more blasts while logging 17 hits on Friday en route to an 11-7 victory. Rick Ankiel has been providing the power for the Cardinals with three home runs and eight RBI over his last five games. Ankiel, a converted pitcher, has 22 home runs and 54 RBI in his first full season as an outfielder in the majors.

Todd Wellemeyer (7-4, 4.04 ERA) hopes the hit parade continues when he takes the mound. Wellemeyer has lost his last three decisions and is looking for his first win since June 5. Randy Wolf (6-9, 4.66), who is 1-5 with a 7.06 ERA over his last six starts, counters for the Padres.