|
 While Gyorko didn't have a hand in the Cardinals' game-winning
rally Sunday, much of the weekend belonged to him on his return to
the ballpark he called home for his first three major-league
seasons.
Gyorko fell a triple shy of the cycle Sunday and was 6-for-11 in the
three-game series, with two homers, a triple, four RBIs and three
runs scored after being roundly booed when he first came up as a
pinch-hitter Friday night.
"I think it was nice to stick it to the team that you were with
before, especially when he got the reception that he got," said
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "Jedd had a real nice couple of days
for us."
"To come back here and play well, definitely it didn't hurt," said
Gyorko, who was traded to the Cardinals last winter in the deal that
sent center fielder Jon Jay to the Padres. "It worked out pretty
well getting booed.
"I didn't know what to expect. If they want to do their thing, then
whatever."
 Although Gyorko didn't have a hand in Sunday's decisive eighth
inning, he helped set it up by being on the front-end of
back-to-back homers off struggling Padres right-handed reliever
Kevin Quackenbush that allowed the Cardinals to tie the game at 5-5
in the sixth.
Gyorko drove a 2-0 pitch from Quackenbush 384 feet into the
right-field stands for an opposite-field homer leading off the
sixth.
Aldemys Diaz took a strike, then launched a 400-foot liner to left
to tie the game.
Diaz was 9-for-11 with a homer, two doubles, three RBIs and two runs
scored in the series.
But the game was won on Matt Carpenter's tie-breaking triple in the
eighth followed by a two-run double by Randal Grichuk against Padres
right-handed reliever Brandon Maurer.
Pinch-hitter Matt Adams opened the St. Louis eighth with a single
off Maurer. Carpenter then hit a liner into the right-field corner
to score Adams and break the tie. After Maurer retired Stephen
Piscotty on a liner to right, he intentionally walked Brandon Moss
to face Grichuk. The center fielder hit a line drive to left-center
that scored Carpenter and Moss.
It was the second straight Cardinals assault on a beleaguered Padres
bullpen. Over the last two games against St. Louis, Padres relievers
worked eight innings and allowed 15 runs on 18 hits, including four
homers, and four walks.
Quackenbush gave up the lead to the Cardinals in both games. Over
his last six relief appearances, Quackenbush has given up nine runs
(eight earned) on eight hits, including three homers, and four
walks.
"It wasn't our best effort in the bullpen, but we have plenty of
capable pieces," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Quackenbush has
had a couple tough outings."
Left-hander Kevin Siegrist (3-0) picked up the win for St. Louis.
Trevor Rosenthal recorded his fifth save. Maurer (0-1) took the
loss.
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Padres right-handed starter Colin Rea allowed three runs (two
earned) on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five
innings. Cardinals starter Mike Leake allowed five runs (three
earned) on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter with four
strikeouts in five innings.
Green said he went to Quackenbush to start the sixth with the Padres
leading 5-3 because Rea had already thrown 101 pitches.
"Colin battled," said Green. "But I couldn't describe him as being
on top of his game."
The Cardinals took early 2-0 and 3-2 leads against the Padres, who
twice battled back to tie the game before taking the lead with two
runs in the bottom of the unusual fifth.
St. Louis scored twice in the first on back-to-back singles by
Grichuk and Yadier Molina.
The Padres halved the deficit in the bottom of the second on
back-to-back singles by Alexei Ramirez and Jemile Weeks and a
sacrifice fly by Christian Bethancourt. The Padres tied the game in
the third when Wil Myers singled with one out, moved to third on a
ground-rule double by Matt Kemp and scored on Melvin Upton Jr.'s
ground out to short.
Gyorko opened the fourth with a triple to right and scored on
Leake's one-out single. But the Padres again tied the game in their
half of the inning on Bethancourt's first homer as a Padre.
The Padres scored twice in the fifth, which opened with Jay reaching
on Gyorko's throwing error at second. Myers drew a walk, which was
followed by a controversial call.
Kemp hit a grounder to Carpenter for what looked like a routine
5-4-3 double play. But Myers was ruled out at second for making an
illegal slide and Jay was sent back to second.
Upton drove home Jay with the tie-breaking run on a single to left.
After Leake hit Brett Wallace with a pitch, Ramirez singled home
Upton.
NOTES: Padres catching prospect Austin Hedges was placed on the
7-day disabled list at Triple-A El Paso with a hand contusion.
Hedges suffered the injury while swinging, although a bone scan
showed he did not suffer a broken hamate bone as feared . . . Padres
LHP Robbie Erlin played catch Sunday four days after being placed on
the 15-day disabled list with a left forearm strain . . . OF Matt
Holliday was out of the Cardinals lineup Sunday, getting his
standard break in a day game after a night game.
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