ST. LOUIS — On the 10th anniversary celebration of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2006 World Series celebration in 2016, Adam Wainwright, a member of that team, threw a three-hit shutout at Busch Stadium against the Miami Marlins.
It fell to Wainwright again to pitch Saturday night on the 10th anniversary celebration of the Cardinals’ most recent World Series championship in 2011, a year when Wainwright likewise was a member, albeit injured, of that team. This one didn’t go quite to the same form although Wainwright pitched effectively against the San Diego Padres.
But although Wainwright did not gain the win or make it to 2,000 strikeouts for his career — he fell one short — the Cardinals continued on their appointed rounds.
Tyler O’Neill’s tie-breaking, two-run home run, his 28th of the season, capped a three-run eighth as the Cardinals, who had been chasing the Padres most of the night, posted a season-high seventh consecutive victory, 3-2, before an enthusiastic paid gathering of 40,626, at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals extended their lead in the race for the second wild-card in the National League two games over Cincinnati and 21/2 over San Diego and Philadelphia.
Harrison Bader doubled to left, barely made third on pinch hitter Lars Nootbaar’s fly to center and scored easily on Tommy Edman’s fly to center in the eighth off Emilio Pagan, who had replaced dominating starter Yu Darvish.
Paul Goldschmidt then walked with two out ahead of O’Neill’s dramatic blast to left.
Wainwright, who had been perfect, record-wise, against the Padres in nine Busch Stadium appearances at 6-0 with a 1.71 earned run average, wasn’t quite perfect through three innings. He gave up two singles but no runs as second baseman Edman made one brilliant stop to his left and another excellent play on which he went to one knee behind second and threw out the hitter.
But Darvish set down the first nine Cardinals in order.
Wainwright broke first as the Padres strung together four singles for two runs in the fourth inning to snap the scoreless tie.
Manny Machado singled past third baseman Nolan Arenado and Adam Frazier rolled a single to right, sending Machado to third. Former Cardinal Tommy Pham singled to right center to score Machado and move Frazier.
Pitching coach Mike Maddux paid a visit at this point and Wainwright then almost escaped the inning as he got Wil Myers to pop to Edman and fanned Trent Grisham. But Victor Caratini singled to right center with two out and the Padres had their first lead of the series.
The Cardinals had a chance to strike back quickly as Edman singled to right and Goldschmidt walked to open the fourth. But O’Neill and Arenado both were called out on strikes and Molina flied to deep left.
Jake Cronenworth doubled to right with one out in the fifth after Wainwright made Fernando Tatis Jr., career strikeout victim No. 1,999. Wainwright escaped this potential stumble by retiring Machado on a popup and Frazier on a liner to first baseman Goldschmidt.
Both sides had their differences with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi with San Diego manager Jayce Tingler run for protesting the strikeout of Tatis Jr. At another point, there was a contretemps in the San Diego dugout with Machado yelling at Tatis but the players were restrained.
Darvish had nine strikeouts, seven of them called, through six innings. The biggest two were in the sixth when the Cardinals had two runners on with nobody out. But Goldschmidt and O’Neill were punched out and Arenado grounded out.
Wainwright had been pulled in a gutsy move by Cardinals manager Mike Shildt who sent up pinch hitter Matt Carpenter, who had been nothing for 31 since Aug. 6. Wainwright had thrown only 93 pitches and was one strikeout from 2,000 but Carpenter had a lifetime .385 batting average and 1.198 OPS against Darvish.
Carpenter doubled to right center, giving him 300 for his career, making him the 13th Cardinal to reach that figure. Carpenter remained at second as shortstop Tatis Jr., jumped for Edman’s liner but couldn’t control it. But that was far as the runners moved.
With Kodi Whitley pitching in the seventh, Cardinals right fielder Dylan Carlson threw out Caratini at second as the Padres’ catcher tried to make more out of his second single that Carlson played well off the wall.
Justin Miller earned the win with a scoreless eighth and Giovanny Gallegos his ninth save with a spotless ninth.
