Donovan, Contreras Power Cardinals to 9–7 Win Over Padres
ST. LOUIS — Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras each hit three-run home runs in the second inning, helping the St. Louis Cardinals secure a 9–7 win over the San Diego Padres in the opening game of their four-game series on Thursday night.
Contreras drove in four runs overall and Donovan had three hits on the night. Iván Herrera also contributed with three hits and two RBIs, including a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Cardinals starter Sonny Gray (10–4) allowed seven runs — six earned — on 11 hits over five innings, striking out five. Closer Ryan Helsley finished the game with a scoreless ninth inning for his 20th save of the season.
For San Diego, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado both recorded three hits. Tatis opened the third inning with a solo homer, while Machado followed with a two-run shot that cut the Cardinals’ lead to 7–5.
Contreras got things started early with an RBI double in the first inning, scoring Donovan off Padres starter Yu Darvish (0–3).
Victor Scott II walked to start the fourth, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a single by Herrera to push the lead to 8–5. In the sixth, Herrera hit a solo home run and was congratulated by Alec Burleson.
In the fifth, Gavin Sheets brought in a run with a groundout, and Xander Bogaerts scored on a throwing error after Bryce Johnson reached base.
Earlier in the game, Jordan Walker singled and moved to second when Scott walked. Donovan then cleared the bases with his home run. Herrera and Burleson followed with hits before Contreras launched a three-run homer to give the Cardinals a 7–2 advantage in the second inning.
Historically, the Cardinals have dominated the Padres at home, holding a 173–87 record. Their .665 winning percentage in St. Louis against San Diego ranks as the third-highest by any team against a single opponent in MLB history (minimum 100 games), according to Elias Sports Bureau.
For Friday’s game, the Padres were set to start Nick Pivetta (10–2, 2.81 ERA) against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (5–7, 5.20 ERA).
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