Brendan Ryan finished with a season-high four hits, including a home run, as the St. Louis Cardinals avoided getting swept by the San Diego Padres with an 8-3 win.

Padres pitching had held the Cardinals to one run over the first two games of this three-game series, but St. Louis broke out Thursday, totaling 15 hits.

Ryan Ludwick finished 3- for-5 with two runs batted in, while Albert Pujols homered for the first time since May 14 and drove in three. St. Louis starter P.J. Walters (1-0) got the win after holding San Diego without a run over five innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out four to get his first career victory. Wade LeBlanc (2-3) gave up four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss, which snapped the Padres’ four-game win streak.