Cameron Maybin hit a two-run homer, Will Venable had three RBIs and the Padres handed the struggling St. Louis Cardinals an 11-3 loss. The club maintained their lead over Pittsburgh, but the loss dropped the Cardinals 9½ games behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central. The Reds beat Pittsburgh 4-3 in 14 innings. St. Louis, which has lost four of five, had its lead cut to one game over the idle Los Angeles Dodgers for the second NL wild-card berth.

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia got pulled after only three innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. The lefty struck out four, walked three and had two wild pitches. He also ran into a hot team. The Padres 14 of their last 18 and are 18-6 in their last 24 home games.

First baseman Lance Berkman will have season-ending surgery on Tuesday on his ailing right knee. Berkman has just two homers and seven RBIs in 80 at-bats this season. Chris Carpenter threw around 70 pitches in a simulated game on Monday. The possibility still exists that he might pitch this season.