Baseball is a funny game.
The Padres played the Cardinals at Petco Park on Saturday night. With five of their main position players unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions the Padres were missing guys who've hit 19 of their 36 home runs this season.
They were facing Adam Wainwright. In 82.1 career innings against the Padres, Wainwright had allowed a grand total of three home runs.
So, of course the Padres makeshift lineup hit three bombs in the first three innings against Wainwright and kept piling on in a 13-3 win over St. Louis., San Diego's biggest offensive output of the season.
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Former Cardinal Tommy Pham got the scoring started in the 1st inning with a 2-run homer to left field, his first of the season. In the 2nd inning Ha-Seong Kim hit a solo shot, his 2nd of the year, to make it 3-0. In the 3rd it was Austin Nola who dealt the big blow, a 3-run opposite field shot that made it a 6-0 game.
Nola, who was playing 1st base instead of his usual catcher spot, also doubled and singled and drove in six runs on the night. Manny Machado also drove in a pair of runs.
On the mound, Chris Paddack tossed 4.0 innings, allowing one run on a solo homer by Yadier Molina. Miguel Diaz, Pierce Johnson and Nabil Crismatt handled the final five innings.
Local
The Padres can get a sweep of the Redbirds on Sunday afternoon with Ryan Weathers on the mound against fellow lefty Kwang Hyun Kim.
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