St. Louis, MO – Carlos Quentin collected two hits and was one of four San Diego players to plate a run, as the Padres snapped a 10-game road skid with a 5-3 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday in the middle tilt of a three-game set at Busch Stadium.
Everth Cabrera, Jedd Gyorko and Nick Hundley added an RBI apiece, while Chase Headley had two hits and scored twice for the Padres, who have won two of their last three overall.
"It's always nice when you can get off to a good start and put a run up in the first couple innings," Headley said. "I thought we did a good job coming out and kind of maintaining what we left off doing (Friday) night and hopefully we can play another good game (Sunday)."
Edinson Volquez (7-8) allowed three runs on four hits over five frames, but the Padres were able to make a winner out of the right-hander, as four San Diego relievers held the Cardinals hitless over the final four innings, with Huston Street spinning a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his 16th save.
Allen Craig plated a pair of runs for the Cardinals, who managed just four hits in the setback.
Lance Lynn (11-5) labored through five innings, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks to absorb his fourth loss in his last five starts.
"Just never had a feel for his fastball," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of Lynn. "It wasn't how we drew it up. He's still a young pitcher and still has a lot to learn."
The Padres pounced on Lynn early, pushing a run across in each of the first two frames before scoring two more in the third to build a 4-0 cushion.
With runners on first and second and two away in the first, Gyorko scorched a single to right to score Headley for 1-0 lead.
Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the second doubled San Diego's edge before the Padres loaded the bases in the third when Yonder Alonso and Will Venable each singled and Alexi Amarista followed with a two-out walk.
Lynn then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Alonso to score before Hundley chopped a slow roller down the third-base line that David Freese corralled, but his throw to first pulled Matt Adams off the base and Venable crossed the plate to make it 4-0.
The Cardinals cut into the lead in the fourth, as Matt Carpenter worked a leadoff walk and Jon Jay followed with a single for St. Louis' first hit.
After Carlos Beltran lined out, Volquez fired a pitch to the backstop to put two runners into scoring position. Craig lined Volquez's next offering into center field to score Carpenter and Jay to trim the deficit in half.
St. Louis added another run in the fifth after Freese and Daniel Descalso started the frame with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch from Volquez moved both runners up a base before pinch-hitter Brock Peterson, making his major league debut, grounded out to short to score Freese to make it a 4-3 game.
Volquez retired the next two hitters to escape further damage before San Diego's bullpen took over.
Nick Vincent, Dale Thayer and Joe Thatcher each tossed a hitless inning in relief before Quentin doubled with one out in the ninth to score Headley, who singled prior to Quentin's two-bagger.
Street needed just 10 pitches to retire the Cards in order in the ninth.
Game Notes
Peterson had his contract purchased from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game after the Cardinals placed outfielder Matt Holliday on the 15-day disabled list because of a lingering hamstring injury ... Volquez improved to 1-3 in five career starts at Busch Stadium ... San Diego had lost five straight against St. Louis on the road ... Lynn entered the contest 7-0 in nine starts at home this season ... San Diego went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
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