Cards Let Late Lead Slip Away in 3-2 Extra-Inning Loss to Padres

The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinals Let Late Lead Slip Away in 3-2 Extra-Inning Loss to Padres
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

For eight innings Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals were three outs away from taking another road series and leaving San Diego with the kind of win that travels well.

Kyle Leahy gave them a strong start. Jordan Walker gave them the big swing. The bullpen carried a two-run lead into the ninth.

Then the Padres changed the whole afternoon.

San Diego rallied late, tied the game on Nick Castellanos’ two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, then pushed across the winning run in the 10th to beat the Cardinals 3-2 at Petco Park.

It was a tough one for St. Louis, not because the Cardinals were outplayed all day, but because they had the game where they wanted it. They led 2-0 going to the ninth, had held San Diego in check most of the afternoon, and were positioned to close out a four-game series with three wins.

Instead, the Padres found just enough offense at the end.

The Cardinals broke through in the fourth inning when Walker launched a two-run home run to left field off Walker Buehler. Alec Burleson, who reached ahead of him, came home on the blast, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead in a game where runs were at a premium.

For much of the afternoon, that swing looked like it might hold up.

Leahy did his part. The right-hander kept San Diego off the board and gave the Cardinals another steady road start, working with good tempo and keeping the Padres from building much of anything. It was not a loud performance, but it was exactly the kind of outing a club needs on getaway day — efficient, competitive and good enough to win.

The Cardinals’ bullpen protected the lead into the ninth, but the margin was thin. That is where the game turned.

With one runner aboard, Castellanos drove a pitch out to left-center field for a game-tying two-run homer. In one swing, a 2-0 Cardinals lead became a 2-2 game, and St. Louis’ unbeaten record in extra innings was put on the line.

The Cardinals had their chance in the top of the 10th.

Burleson began the inning at second base as the automatic runner, but Walker struck out swinging and Nolan Gorman followed with another strikeout. Masyn Winn then worked a tough two-out walk, putting runners at first and second and giving Nathan Church a chance to deliver the go-ahead hit.

The Cardinals could not cash it in.

San Diego did.

The Padres took advantage in the bottom of the 10th, bringing home the automatic runner and walking off the Cardinals, 3-2.

It was the kind of loss that stings because St. Louis had the backbone of a winning formula in place. The starting pitching was good enough. The defense held. Walker’s homer gave the Cardinals the swing they needed. But the offense managed only two runs, and once Castellanos tied it in the ninth, the game shifted.

The Cardinals leave San Diego with a split of the final two games after taking the first two of the series. They opened the set with a 2-1 win Thursday, followed it with a 6-0 shutout Friday, then dropped back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday.

That takes some of the shine off what still was a competitive road series, but Sunday’s finish will be the one that lingers.

This was not a blowout. It was not a sloppy loss. It was a game the Cardinals had in their hands and could not finish.

In a long season, those happen. The good clubs make sure they do not stack them.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.