Hosmer's 13th-inning double lifts Padres to 2-1 win vs Cards

SAN DIEGO -- After more than four hours and another double-digit strikeout performance by the San Diego Padres, Eric Hosmer was ready to call it a night.

Hosmer hit an RBI double down the right-field line on the first pitch from Mike Mayers with no outs in the 13th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 2-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

A few steps out of the batter's box, Hosmer, San Diego's $144 million man, tossed aside his batting helmet aside in celebration.

"It just feels good to be on top of this one. Everybody was ready to go home," Hosmer said.

John Brebbia (1-0) had thrown two perfect innings for the Cardinals before walking A.J. Ellis to open the 13th. Ellis was replaced by pinch-runner Jordan Lyles, a starting pitcher, who advanced to second on a passed ball. Travis Jankowski walked and the Cardinals brought on Mayers to face Hosmer.

Hosmer was 0 for 5 at that point.

"I was telling myself to be ready for his best fastball," he said, "and don't miss another good pitch."

That's what he got, a fastball on the inner half.

"It's great to see him do it," manager Andy Green said.

Adam Cimber (2-1) pitched a perfect 13th for the win.

"One of those days, one of those tough ones where we just couldn't get anything going," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.

The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead in the 11th. Jedd Gyorko, a former Padres player, hit a leadoff single to center and took third when Greg Garcia, who went to high school in suburban El Cajon, singled to right with two outs before Maton retired Kolten Wong.

Other than that, there weren't many chances in extra innings, "not without two outs," Matheny said. "Nothing to be able to move a guy over or play some small ball and try to get guys moving. They did what they had to do and our guys did a nice job, too, keeping us in it."

The Padres had two chances to win it late. They had runners on first and second with one out in the 10th before Hosmer grounded into a double play.

In the ninth, they had runners on first and second with no outs before Bud Norris struck out the side. Pinch-hitter Cory Spangenberg struck out when he bunted foul for strike three and Norris then got Raffy Lopez and Freddy Galvis swinging.

The Padres struck out 14 times.

"I don't think we had really good at-bats most of the day," Green said. "The strikeouts continue to plague us at times and we had that situation where we didn't get the bunt down and we struck out a couple times after that, high fastballs in the zone we continue to chase. But for me, it's a resilient team today to come away with the win."

Tyson Ross and Michael Wacha were locked in a pitching duel through six innings, with each starter allowing one run on three hits.

Ross had held the Cardinals scoreless on two singles until the sixth, when Jose Martinez doubled in Paul DeJong with the tying run. DeJong was hit by a pitch to open the inning.

The Padres got their run off Wacha in the second when Raffy Lopez singled with two outs, advanced on Freddy Galvis' ground out and scored on first baseman Martinez's errant throw trying to get Lopez at third.

Ross struck out seven and walked two. Wacha struck out five and walked one.

HONORING KT

As part of a weekend honoring the 1998 NL champion Padres, the late Kevin Towers was inducted into the team's hall of fame. Towers was general manager from 1995 to 2009 and built four division winners, including the '98 team that reached the World Series before being swept by the New York Yankees. Towers died of a rare form of thyroid cancer on Jan. 30 at age 56. Towers also built a division winner with Arizona.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: 3B Christian Villanueva slammed into the low wall and tumbled into the netting chasing a foul ball by Dexter Fowler with two outs in the eighth inning. He was shaken up but remained in the game. Villanueva was pinch-hit for by Spangenberg in the ninth.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (1-2, 3.45) is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday. He made a rehab start with Double-A Springfield on Monday while recovering from an inflamed right elbow. He closed out all three St. Louis wins in the 2006 division series against San Diego, including a save in Game 2.

Padres: LHP Clayton Richard (1-5, 5.72) pitched a season-high eight innings of three-hit ball and struck out eight in his last start, Tuesday night against Washington, but took his fourth straight loss.