Padres 3 - 6 Cardinals
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Cards hope Lynn can build off gem in finale with Padres

May 23, 2012 - 2:52 PM

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(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals had to be impressed with Adam Wainwright's performance in last night's shutout of the San Diego Padres.

They will be even more aroused if Lance Lynn can continue his surge in the rotation and pitch his ballclub to a three-game sweep tonight at Busch Stadium. Lynn has a tough act follow after Wainwright tossed a four-hit shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Padres. Wainwright, who is coming off elbow ligament replacement surgery, struck out nine and walked one for his first shutout since the 2010 season.

"I think that all of the emotion came from just knowing it's been over a year since I've done that, since I've really felt locked in on the mound like that," said Wainwright. "Mentally, on the mound tonight, I was so much better than I have been."

Carlos Beltran knocked in two runs and Matt Holliday added two hits, an RBI and a run scored for NL Central-leading St. Louis, which has won two straight, but owns just four wins in the past 12 games. The Cardinals are just one-half game ahead of Cincinnati in the division, 2-0 on a seven-game homestand and will welcome Philadelphia to the Gateway City for a four-game set on Thursday.

Lynn, meanwhile, started the year 6-0 in place of injured ace Chris Carpenter and is 0-1 in his last two starts. Lynn has allowed seven runs in the past two starts after giving up just six over his first six outings, and is coming off last Friday's 6-5 road loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He did not factor in the outcome after permitting a season-high four runs and nine hits in six innings.

The right-hander is 2-1 in three home starts this season and has never faced the Padres.

San Diego will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday and lost for the eighth time in its last 13 games last night. Wainwright stymied the Padres' bats, as Andy Parrino and starting pitcher Edinson Volquez both had doubles in defeat.

"We had a plan going in," said Padres manager Bud Black about facing Wainwright. "We knew that this guy attacks, he goes at you. But he kept the ball on the corner and he got in on us. We just couldn't generate anything."

Volquez absorbed the loss after yielding three runs on five hits and four walks in six innings of work. The Padres are just percentage points ahead of Colorado for last place in the NL West and 0-2 on a 10-game road trip.

Former Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan will toe the rubber for the Friars tonight and he has lost back-to-back starts since winning his first two. A member of St. Louis' World Series-winning team back in 2006, Suppan allowed a season-high four runs over five innings in last Friday's 7-2 loss to the LA Angels of Anaheim at Petco Park. He walked five batter and did not record a strikeout.

Suppan has lasted at least five innings in each of his four starts this season and is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA. The right-hander will pitch on the road for the second time this season and is 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 17 career games (16 starts) against the Cardinals.

"I always loved playing here," Suppan said of his time with the Cards. "These are some of the greatest fans in baseball. It's a family tradition here. Grandfathers take their grandsons and pass the traditions down. It's a fun place to play, and it makes you feel good to be part of a rich tradition."

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






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