St Louis Cardinals Complete the Sweep of the San Diego Padres

The Padres were able to strike for three quick runs in the first inning, but they couldn’t hold the lead.  And they couldn’t score again.  Lance Lynn settled down, and Carlos Beltran provided the pop as the Cardinals took out the brooms and swept the Padres out of St. Louis with a 6-3 victory.

In the first inning, Will Venable led off with a home run.  It was his sixth career lead-off home run and puts him one behind Quilvio Veras for the club lead.  Cameron Maybin singled but was erased when he was caught stealing.  Yonder Alonso walked, and Jesus Guzman was hit by a pitch.  Chase Headley then singled home Alonso.  Finally, Nick Hundley grounded out to drive him Jesus Guzman.

The Padres had provided Jeff Suppan a solid lead before he even took the hill, but that lead was quickly given right back.  The Cardinals scored three runs of their own in the bottom of the first before Suppan could get out of the inning.

The score would remain knotted there until the bottom of the fifth when Carlos Beltran came to the plate.  With a runner on, Beltran blasted a two-run home run to give St. Louis the lead.  It was all the Cardinals would need, but David Freese would later hit a solo shot in the seventh.

In all, Jeff Suppan pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks, and struck out one.  It was not the return to St. Louis he had hoped for.

Will Venable came within a triple of the cycle after homering in his first at-bat, singling in his second at-bat, and doubling in his third at-bat.  He wouldn’t collect another hit in his final two at-bats.

The Padres take on the Mets in New York today at 4:10 PT.  Eric Stults will face Jeremy Hefner.