TURNING POINT
The Padres created their own misfortune several times. But with the bases loaded in the ninth, they suffered bad luck when Luke Carlin and Adrian Gonzalez hit hard shots directly to Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. After catching Carlin's grounder, Pujols threw out Brian Giles at home. Pujols snagged Gonzalez's line drive, keeping the score 5-5.
KEY FACTOR
The Padres' Scott Hairston, after catching a fly ball, gambled that he could throw the ball some 250 feet from center field to double up Troy Glaus at first base. But first baseman Brian Myrow had left the base, and Hairston's throw went into foul ground for a throwing error. The Cardinals parlayed it into an unearned run, pulling to 3-2 in the seventh. Myrow, according to the Padres, made a fundamental mistake when he drifted toward second.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Offense: Glaus. Cardinals' No. 5 hitter and Carlsbad High alum singled and scored in the seventh, then hit a three-run, go-ahead home run off Heath Bell in the eighth.
Bench: All-Star pinch hitters. Pujols hit a sacrifice fly, and Gonzalez drew an intentional walk. Both stayed in the game and made good defensive plays.
Defense: Gonzalez, making a play that's one of his favorites, fielded a sacrifice-bunt attempt and threw out Skip Schumaker at second base for the first out of the eighth, with the Padres ahead 3-2. Padres catcher Nick Hundley, obtaining Cha Seung Baek's first out of the game, threw out Schumaker at second to punish Aaron Miles' missed swing on a hit-and-run try.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
Compared with most of their peers, Padres relievers are less likely to be asked to strand a baserunner, or two, or three.
Padres relievers had inherited only 105 baserunners entering play yesterday – a total than ranked 27th in the majors.
No other bullpen, however, had allowed a higher percentage of inherited runners to score, according to STATS PASS. A whopping 47.6 percent of inherited runners had scored against Padres relievers. The 50 runs ranked tied for seventh.
The bases were empty when Bell, the Padres' eighth-inning specialist, inherited a 3-2 Padres lead, then allowed two singles and Glaus' three-run home run.
WHO'S HOT
Troy Glaus: Carlsbad High alum and former Padres draftee has hit five home runs in past six games and has batted .528 in a nine-game hitting streak. Since June 1, he has hit more homers (16) than any other major leaguer.
Scott Hairston: In first start since the All-Star break, Padres leadoff man homers, singles twice and walks.
WHO'S NOT
Heath Bell: Two games after allowing four runs, Padres reliever allows three more.
– TOM KRASOVIC
BY THE NUMBERS
1990 The last time the Cardinals swept a four-game series from the Padres.
8-for-17 Edgar Gonzalez's series line against the Cardinals, who kept him in Triple-A last season.
403 Distance, in feet, of the home run hit by Padres pitcher Cha Seung Baek.
432 Distance of the home run hit by the Cards' Troy Glaus.
