Jul 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) leaps over San Diego Padres third baseman Jose Iglesias (7) as he steals second base during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
St. Louis, Missouri – The Padres’ bats showed up Friday night at Busch Stadium. The runs didn’t.
San Diego racked up 11 hits but failed to capitalize, stranding nine runners in a frustrating 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals — their fourth straight defeat and a game that saw tempers flare early and opportunities wasted late.
Nick Pivetta, who entered the night unbeaten since May 11 and enjoying a career-best season in his first year as a Padre, took the loss despite a solid outing. He allowed just three hits and three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, but a tense second inning and a defensive miscue in the fourth set the tone for a night that slipped away quickly.
The second inning began with Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras being hit by a 93.7 mph fastball. The league leader in hit-by-pitches, Contreras took exception, exchanging words with Pivetta as he walked to first. Benches cleared, but cooler heads prevailed — at least off the scoreboard. On it, the Cardinals scratched out a run moments later without recording a hit, as a Jake Cronenworth error and a misfire from Xander Bogaerts allowed Contreras to score.
In the fourth, Masyn Winn doubled in two more runs, capitalizing on the Padres’ inability to stop the bleeding. Winn would finish the night with two RBIs, while Contreras reached base four times and scored twice.
San Diego’s best shot at climbing back came in the top of the fourth. With two on and no outs, Gavin Sheets lifted a fly ball to deep right. Jackson Merrill advanced to third, but Bogaerts got greedy and was thrown out at second on a smart relay by St. Louis. Mikolas then struck out Cronenworth, squashing the rally and silencing the Padres’ dugout.
That would prove to be the turning point. Despite several other chances, the Padres failed to string hits together when it mattered. Willson Contreras’ early fire seemed to light up the Cardinals’ bench, while the Padres couldn’t muster much beyond individual base knocks.
It wasn’t all bad for San Diego. Pivetta showed grit even after being issued a warning for the HBP, continuing to pound the zone and pitch aggressively inside. But without run support, there was little margin for error.
With the loss, the Padres’ lead for the National League’s final Wild Card spot shrinks slightly, with the Cardinals now just 1.5 games back. The two teams will face off three more times this weekend, with another series looming next weekend at Petco Park — and likely more playoff implications with it.
