LDN - Sports

Gyorko powers Cards to day-night sweep of Padres

[July 21, 2016] ST. LOUIS -- Jedd Gyorko's answer to how it felt to blast six homers in five games against his old team was as simple and as on point as his swing at the moment.

"It didn't suck," he said.

The St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman homered twice in the nightcap of Wednesday's day-night doubleheader, capping a three-homer day that highlighted his team's 4-2, 3-2 sweep of the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium.

Gyorko, who has whacked more than half his 11 homers this year against San Diego pitching, became the first St. Louis player to homer in five straight games against the Padres since Albert Pujols did it in 2001-02.

In this series alone, Gyorko is 7-for-10 with four homers and six RBIs, making him 13-for-21 with six homers and nine RBIs this year against San Diego. Entering the series with a .238 average, Gyorko goes into Thursday night's series finale hitting .265.

Just don't ask him to explain it, something media has attempted to do numerous times this series without much elaboration. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny wasn't taking that bait, either.

"If he can't explain it, I can't," Matheny said. "The tear he's on, not many people do. I know the team he's playing probably makes this a little sweeter."

After belting a two-run homer in the fourth inning of Wednesday's opener that put St. Louis ahead to stay, Gyorko was right back at it in the nightcap against spot starter Paul Clemens (1-1).

Following a single in the first, Gyorko ambushed a first-pitch fastball with two outs in the third, lining it 395 feet into the Padres bullpen for a 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Clemens invited trouble when he walked Greg Garcia with two outs. Gyorko made him pay, lashing a 1-0 fastball 420 feet into the left-center field bleachers as the crowd of 41,012 roared its approval.

After his latest bomb, Gyorko, who cracked 49 homers in three years for San Diego before being dealt on Dec. 8, 2015, for Jon Jay, got what he said was the first curtain call of his career.

"That was cool," Gyorko said. "Hopefully, I can get a few more of those."

Clemens blamed himself for not pitching Gyorko in a more judicious manner.

"It feels good to a man to be able to challenge people and hold my own out there, but business-wise, that's not a good pitch," Clemens said. "Throw the curve ball ... he's hot right now. He's their best hitter right now. No harm, no foul in a walk."

Making his first start for the Padres after three relief appearances, Clemens gave up three runs on four hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five.

[to top of second column]

Jaime Garcia (7-6) bagged the win for the Cardinals, working 5 2/3 innings and giving up a run off six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Garcia escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam in the fifth. After fanning Clemens, Garcia converted Travis Jankowski's hard bunt towards the mound into a force-out at the plate as his throw nipped Adam Rosales. Garcia then induced an inning-ending groundout from Wil Myers.

San Diego (41-54) did pull within 3-2 with solo homers by Matt Kemp and Ryan Schimpf, extending its franchise record of games with a homer to 18 to tie the National League's longest streak since the 2010 Cincinnati Reds.

But it never got the tying run aboard after Schimpf homered for the second straight game. Four St. Louis relievers obtained the last nine outs, with Seung Hwan Oh striking out two in a clean ninth for his second save of the day and fourth of the year.

The long day was ultimately very successful for the Cardinals (50-44), which gained a game and a half on Miami for the NL's second wild-card spot, thanks to the Marlins' 4-1 loss in Philadelphia. They are just a game behind the Marlins.

For that, they only had to look at the guy who keeps killing the organization which is still paying him $2.5 million a year.

"It feels great," Gyorko said. "More importantly, getting two wins at the end of a long, hot day. Hopefully, I can stay locked in."

NOTES: St. Louis recalled LHP Dean Kiekhefer from Triple-A Memphis Wednesday to serve as the 26th man for the doubleheader. Kiekhefer was 0-0 with a 5.73 ERA in 11 appearances earlier this season. ... San Diego recalled LHP Keith Hessler as its 26th man for the doubleheader. Hessler, who was claimed off waivers from Arizona in May, was 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA and a save at Triple-A El Paso. ... St. Louis started the four players who didn't start in Game 1 -- SS Greg Garcia, CF Tommy Pham, LF Jeremy Hazelbaker and C Alberto Rosario -- in the nightcap.

Back to top