Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer battled back after giving up five runs in the first two innings to settle down and pitch into the seventh as the Cardinals rallied behind Albert Pujols for a 6-5 win. With the win, the Cardinals are two games in back of Chicago for first place.
It looked like it was going to be a long day for Wellemeyer who was searching for his first win since he went on the DL for elbow discomfort on June 5 th . After giving up two runs in the first inning, Edgar Gonzalez hit a three run, two out homer to put the Padres up 5-0.
Tony LaRussa elected to stick it out with Wellemeyer not to burn out the bullpen so early and he responded, at one point retiring 14 out of 16 batters.
Albert Pujols led the Cardinals comeback with a three run double in the fifth and he added his fourth RBI of the game in the sixth on a ground out that gave the Cardinals the lead.
The Padres loaded the bases in the seventh but Russ Springer got a strikeout and fly out to end the threat. Ryan Franklin pitched the eighth and ninth for his 14 th save.