Cardinals 3 - 2 Padres
Final/11
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Descalso plays hero again, Cards top Padres in 11

May 25, 2011 - 7:56 AM

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San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Daniel Descalso drove in the winning run for the second night in a row, lifting the Cardinals over the Padres, 3-2, in an 11-inning battle.

Ernesto Frieri (1-2) walked Allen Craig to start the 11th and struck out the next two batters, though Craig managed to steal second to get into scoring position.

Descalso, one day after opening the three-game series with a go-ahead RBI in the ninth, grounded one up the middle that caromed off the glove of a diving Orlando Hudson at second. The ball trickled into the outfield, and Craig scored without a play at the plate.

Eduardo Sanchez closed out St. Louis' fourth straight win with a perfect bottom half, picking up his fifth save of the year in the process.

Miguel Batista (3-1) tossed two hitless innings in relief to earn the victory.

Brad Hawpe hit a two-run homer for the Padres, who recorded just two hits to drop their fifth straight game.

"We're playing hard, we're just not getting in the win column," Padres manager Bud Black said.

Hawpe's blast came after Ryan Theriot's throwing error allowed Ryan Ludwick to reach base with two outs in the first inning. The unearned runs were the lone blemish for Kyle McClellan in his six-inning start.

Aaron Harang also pitched well for San Diego, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and one walk while fanning seven in as many innings.

A Lance Berkman single and Hawpe throwing error plated Jon Jay with two outs in the first inning, though Hawpe made it 2-1 in the bottom half.

The Cardinals put runners on the corners with no outs in the seventh, but Tony Cruz, playing in his first big-league game, was thrown out a home trying to score on pinch-hitter Colby Rasmus' grounder to first.

Theriot's run-scoring groundout later in the frame tied things, though Hawpe made a diving grab at first base on Jay's line drive to strand a runner on third.

Game Notes

McClellan struck out four, gave up two hits and did not walk a batter...Cruz and Descalso each had three of the Cardinals' 12 hits...Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday did not play because of tightness in his left quadriceps.






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