Ty France and Manny Machado each homered, and Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered a tie-breaking two-run single in a three-run fifth inning as the San Diego Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Saturday, ending a prolonged offensive drought.
Starter Randy Vasquez (4-1) allowed just one run on six hits over five innings, walking none and striking out six before handing the ball to the Padres’ high-leverage bullpen.
St. Louis cut the lead to one in the eighth on Ivan Herrera’s RBI double that scored JJ Wetherholt off Adrian Morejon. Mason Miller then retired Jordan Walker on a groundout to escape the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out the side to earn his 12th save in as many chances.
Cardinals starter Dustin May (3-4) pitched effectively until the fifth. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking two.
St. Louis entered the game with a 17-inning scoreless streak against San Diego. May carried a no-hitter into the fifth before France launched a 405-foot homer to center, his fourth of the year.
The Padres extended the rally with a walk to Sung-Mun Song and a single by Freddy Fermin. A passed ball by catcher Pedro Pages moved both runners into scoring position, and after Jackson Merrill struck out, Tatis looped a two-run single to right field, giving San Diego a 3-1 lead.
Machado added insurance in the eighth with a solo homer to left-center, ending an 0-for-24 slump that had dropped his average to .195.
St. Louis threatened in the ninth against Miller, who walked Nolan Gorman and Nathan Church to put two on with one out. Yohel Pozo reached when Miller threw a wild pitch on strike three, but Miller froze Wetherholt with a 102 mph fastball for the final out.
Nathan Church gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI double.
