The San Diego Padres started and finished strong on their longest road trip of the season. Hitting and running as if the ground was burning their feet, the Padres concluded the 10-game, three-city trek Sunday with a 9-2 victory over the St.

The St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres are in the fight for the final National League wild- card slot. They are facing each other seven times in a span of 11 days.

PITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Nick Pivetta (10-2, 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 127 strikeouts); Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (5-7, 5.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 69 strikeouts) BOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres look to end their three-game losing streak with a win against the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis (54-53) dropped back-to-back games to San Diego (57-49), resulting in a four-game series split after Sunday's 9-2 loss at Busch Stadium.

The Padres reclaimed the lead when Cronenworth scored again in the top of the fourth after grounding a double down the right field line, going to third on a groundout to the right side by Jose Iglesias and sliding in ahead of the throw home on a safety squeeze executed by Johnson.

The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their 4-game series Sunday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Ever since they joined MLB as an expansion team in 1969, the San Diego Padres have struggled when they have visited the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

There was a 99.6 mph one-hopper off the back of Dylan Cease's head, the fiery ejection of New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, a home run robbery by Fernando Tatis Jr., a grand slam by Mark Vientos and then a five-run rally by the San Diego Padres after Vientos' slam.