Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveres misplay a ball in the third inning.  It led to a San Diego double (photo/MLB)

Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveres misplay a ball in the third inning. It led to a San Diego double (photo/MLB)

The San Diego Padres entered this series as the one of the weakest offensive teams in the National League.  You couldn’t tell Wednesday night.  The Padres had a season high 16 hits as Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable each homered and drove in four runs to lead the Padres to a 12-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Milwaukee topped Tampa Bay 5-0, to extend their lead to 2.5 games over St. Louis in the Central.

Venable hit a  three-run homer to cap the eight-run seventh. Three Cardinal relievers gave up five hits, three walks and a hit batter in the inning. Gyorko hit a three-run double in the seventh as well.

The Cardinals were already down 4-0, when Peter Bourjas brought home a run on a fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to three in the top of the seventh.  Starter Joe Kelly gave up the four runs on seven hits, a walk and a wild pitch in five innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, Carlos Martinez gave up a single and walk after getting one out.  Randy Choate gave up a run scoring double, before he gave way to Seth Maness, who entered with runners on first and second and the score 5-1.  Maness then gave up a single, the Gyorko double, a walk and then Venable’s homer to make it a 12-1 game.