San Diego had just four hits but drew 12 walks from five Cardinals pitchers
Joe Musgrove discovered himself unfavorable counts and more jams than he’d have enjoyed, and managed to receive his first win since projecting a no-hitter on April 9.
Musgrove made it through five innings and Manny Machado drove in 2 runs for San Diego, which beat St. Louis 5-4 Friday night at the first meeting between the teams as the Padres removed the Cardinals in the playoffs this past year.
Musgrove (3-4) had dropped four choices in five starts since pitching the initial no-hitter at Padres history in Texas.
“It was not the most adorable tonight but I really feel as though I did a fantastic job of keeping people in the match,” Musgrove said.
Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his important league-leading 13th save in as many opportunities.
San Diego had just four hits but drew 12 walks from five Cardinals pitchers.
The Padres beat the Cardinals 2-1 from the wild-card around last season before being sailed from the NL Division Series by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
At the next, he loaded the bases with one out on a single and sequential walks prior to getting Arenado to floor into a slick double play started by rookie second baseman Tucupita Marcano.
The significant right-hander let Yadier Molina’s leadoff double in the fourth before hitting the side sandwiched around an intentional walk into Harrison Bader. Musgrove loaded the bases in the first time but each of the Cardinals got from it was a sacrifice fly by Molina.
“There is excursions like this you’re likely to have during the year and you have got to have the ability to mill through it rather than give yourself up and find a means to restrict the harm and that I thought I did this well tonight,” Musgrove said.
Said Padres director Jayce Tingler:”You always feel good once you’ve got Musgrove on the mound.”
Tingler stated he believed Musgrove was great,”needing to browse during that lineup. … I thought he made some enormous pitches with some visitors from some very good hitters. He managed to escape from a few of those jams. I thought tonight that he was really excellent. Ran out of gas and only kind of pitched together with his heart and his courage and laid it out there to the fifth and managed to make it through.”
Machado drove in 2 runs for San Diego, on a double from the first and one in the sixth, scoring Trent Grisham twice.
The Padres scored two runs in the next without the benefit of a hit to have a 3-0 lead. Marcano followed by an RBI grounder.
Padres newcomer Kim Ha-seong began a stunning double play to end the sixth. Filling into shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who is out after a favorable COVID-19 evaluation, Kim fielded Tommy Edman’s bouncer because he stepped on second to induce Bader, sidestepped the oncoming baserunner and left a jump throw to get Edman.
Tyler O’Neill struck on a two-run homer for the Cardinals away Emilio Pagán in the eighth.
