Stephen Piscotty’s two-run homer in the seventh inning erased a 1-0 deficit and the Cardinals went on to beat the Padres 3-1 in San Diego. Harrison Bader added a sac-fly for insurance in the eighth. Ryan Sherriff got his first big league win in relief. Tyler Lyons posted his second save. St. Louis has won four straight and six of its last seven.
>>Cardinals Acquire Nicasio From Phillies
The Cardinals are adding an arm for the stretch run. They’ve acquired pitcher Juan Nicasio from the Phillies in exchange for minor-league infielder Eliezer Alvarez. Nicasio was claimed by the Phillies on August 31st from the Pirates. The 31-year-old is 3-and-5 with a 2.79 ERA this season. Nicasio will be a free agent at the end of the year.
>>Cardinals Play Padres One More Time Tonight
The Cardinals play the Padres one more time tonight in San Diego. It’s the finale of their four-game series at Petco Park, with Lance Lynn slated to start for St. Louis and Clayton Richard for San Diego. The Cardinals are 72-and-67, four games behind the first-place Cubs in the NL Central and two games behind Colorado for the second NL wild card.
>>Cubs Blank Bucs 1-0 With Ninth-Inning Run
Alex Avila tripled in the game’s only run in the top of the ninth inning as the Cubs blanked the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh. Jose Quintana and three relievers combined on a six-hitter. Chicago had just three hits in the win. The Cubs lead the Cardinals by four games and the Brewers by four-and-a-half in the NL Central. They finish their series in Pittsburgh tonight.
>>Giants Rip Rockies To Avoid Sweep
The Giants avoided a three-game sweep with an 11-3 rout of the Rockies at Coors Field. The Rockies open a four-game series with the Dodgers tonight in LA. At 74-and-65, Colorado is two games ahead of St. Louis for the second NL wild card spot. Jon Gray gets the start on the mound tonight for the Rockies. The Dodgers counter with Clayton Kershaw.