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 As Murphy admitted after the game, he was glad he didn't know.
Jumping on the first pitch, Venable cracked a tie-breaking two-run
homer to give San Diego a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at
sold-out Busch Stadium.
"I didn't draw it up this way," joked Murphy. "I would have rather
won it in nine, but this was a great team win. I'm happy for Will."
Before Venable had the chance to improve on a sickly 1-for-17 mark
as a pinch-swinger, the Padres needed a replay reversal. Shortstop
Clint Barmes' two-out fly ball down the right field line was
originally ruled foul by first base umpire David Rackley.
But Murphy asked for a review and the umpires on duty in New York
City overturned the call as the ball plopped just inside the foul
line and bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double.
Venable whaled his sixth homer of the year moments later, a 420-foot
shot over the right-center field wall off Carlos Villanueva (3-3)
that enabled San Diego (38-43) to start a 10-game road trip on a
positive note.
"A huge team win for us," said starting pitcher Tyson Ross. "A start
in the right direction."
Ross had something to do with that, and it wasn't limited to his
13th quality start in 17 outings. He blasted the first homer of his
career, a 366-foot opposite field drive which barely cleared the
right field wall in the fifth for a 3-1 lead.
It was the first homer for a Padre pitcher since Ian Kennedy went
deep last year against Miami, and the first opposite-field blast by
a San Diego hurler since Andy Benes did it on Sept. 3, 1989 against
Philadelphia.
"It was cool, and it turned out to be a big run, because I gave up
two right after that," Ross said.
Despite ceding the lead when he allowed an RBI single to third
baseman Matt Carpenter and a run-scoring double to right fielder
Jason Heyward in the Cardinals' half of the inning, Ross still
lasted six innings. He gave up four hits and three runs, walking
five and fanning six.
Four relievers worked five scoreless innings for San Diego, with
Shawn Kelley (1-2) whiffing four in his two innings for the win.
Craig Kimbrel pitched the 11th to garner his 20th save.
St. Louis (51-27) dropped three in a row at home for the first time
this year despite a good start from lefty Tim Cooney. Making just
his second big league appearance, Cooney gave up only four hits and
three runs, two earned, in six innings. He walked two and struck out
six.
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The Cardinals outhit the Padres 9-8 and also drew a half-dozen
walks, but were just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They
stranded 13 men for the game, leaving runners at first and third in
the eighth, and second and third in the ninth.
Catcher Yadier Molina appeared to have a game-winning single off
Kelley in the ninth with men at first and second, but first baseman
Derek Norris robbed him with a full-length dive. Kelley then fanned
left fielder Randal Grichuk.
"Almost a big hit with Yadi," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.
"It was a plus defensive play to knock that down. We let those
chances go, they come back to bite us."
Venable took the biggest bite of them all.
"I wanted to be ready for fastball and anything up," he said.
NOTES: St. Louis made room for Thursday night's starting pitcher,
LHP Tim Cooney, by placing OF Jon Jay (left wrist) on the 15-day
disabled list. Jay is batting .223 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 166
at-bats. ... San Diego 3B Yangervis Solarte, who homered in the
second was tossed after the top of the sixth by home plate umpire
Bob Davidson for slamming his helmet after Rackley called him out on
a checked swing. ... The Cardinals signed five international players
Thursday, landing 16-year-old Venezuelan RHP Alvaro Seijas for
$762,500 and also inking 16-year-old SS Raffy Ozuna of the Dominican
Republic for $600,000.
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