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Cards shoot for a series win versus Padres

May 22, 2012 - 3:18 PM (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals aim for a series win tonight versus the San Diego Padres in the second installment of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis posted a 4-3 win in last night's series opener, as Tyler Greene belted a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and finished with three hits and two runs scored. Yadier Molina went 2-for-4 with a run scored for NL Central-leading St. Louis, which ended a four-game slide and sits one-half game ahead of Cincinnati.

"Great to come through for the team like this," said Greene, who is expected to pick up the slack for the injured Lance Berkman. "I was real excited out there for that moment."

Berkman is expected to miss about six weeks because of an injured right knee that will need surgery to repair. Jaime Garcia did not record a decision and allowed two hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts. Jason Motte pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.

This season hasn't gone as planned for Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, who gets the nod this evening against the Padres. Wainwright has lost two straight starts since winning two in a row and dropped to 2-5 on the season in eight starts following a 7-5 loss at San Francisco on Thursday.

Wainwright was reached for five runs, two of which were earned, and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He went 4 1/3 frames and yielded five runs in a 7-2 loss versus Atlanta on May 12. The right-hander has allowed nine free passes in his previous two stints on the mound after walking a total of seven over his first six starts. He is 1-3 in four home starts this season and 2-1 with a solid 1.46 ERA in six career games (3 starts) against the Padres.

San Diego had won two straight and four of six games until last night. Jesus Guzman gave the Friars a short-lived 3-2 lead with a two-run double in the eighth inning, but Greene's blast off Andrew Cashner in the bottom half made all the difference.

"I made a good pitch and he put a good swing on it," said Cashner about Greene's homer. "You just have to tip your cap and go home."

Cashner absorbed the loss and starter Clayton Richard was reached for two runs in 7 1/3 innings for the no-decision. Yonder Alonso has been seeing the ball well and finished with two hits and a pair of runs scored last night. He has hit safely in 20 of his last 23 games, batting .368 in that span.

The Padres opened a 10-game trek on a sour note and look to even the set tonight with Edinson Volquez on the mound. Volquez was aiming to extend his season high winning streak to three games the last time out, but fell back into the loss column. He hopes to get back on track tonight against a Cardinals team he is somewhat familiar with from his days with Cincinnati.

Volquez had won back-to-back trips to the mound until an 8-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, when he allowed a season-high five runs -- three earned -- and seven hits in five innings of work. Volquez struck out six and walked three batters to fall to 2-3 in nine starts with a 3.04 ERA. He has issued a team-leading 27 walks in 53 1/3 innings this season.

The righty is 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis.

San Diego and St. Louis are meeting for the first time since splitting six matchups a year ago.