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Padres try to inch closer to NL West title

Sep 27, 2006 - 4:18 PM San Diego (85-72) at St Louis (80-76) 8:10 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres are surging at the right time of the year. However, the St. Louis Cardinals are slumping at the wrong time.

Winners of six straight, the Padres wrap up a three-game series with the Cardinals, who have dropped their last seven contests, on Wednesday.

Following a 7-5 victory on Tuesday, San Diego reduced its magic number to clinch the National League West Division title to four. The Padres lead the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games in the NL West.

Josh Bard and Mike Cameron both connected for two-run doubles in the seventh inning of Tuesday's win.

The Cardinals now lead the revived Houston Astros, winners of seven in a row, by just 1 1/2 games and the Cincinnati Reds by 2 1/2 games.

Ronnie Belliard homered twice and Jim Edmonds drove in two runs in Tuesday's setback.

San Diego goes for the series sweep with Chris Young (11-5, 3.55 ERA) on the mound. The 6-10 righthander yielded two runs, a hit and three walks in 8 2/3 innings of a 6-2 triumph over Pittsburgh last Friday.

Young enters the contest with a 6-0 record and 2.50 ERA in 14 road starts this season.

Rookie Anthony Reyes (5-7, 4.92) will try to help St. Louis avoid another series' sweep and end this horrific slide. The righthander tied a season high with nine strikeouts, but did not factor in the decision of a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee on September 18. He was responsible for two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 frames.