Padres 2, Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals still have the majors' best record, but they now own their first four-game losing streak of the year.
Second baseman Jedd Gyorko broke a tie in the top of the ninth with an RBI single Friday night as the San Diego Padres rallied for a 2-1 win at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Third baseman Yangervis Solarte one-hopped a triple off the right-center field wall with one out. Gyorko worked the count full, fouled off a couple of pitches and then lined a hit into left field to end the scoreless streak of closer Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) at 23 2/3 innings.
Joaquin Benoit (5-3) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win, stranding the potential go-ahead run at third with one out. Closer Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 21st save as San Diego upped its record to 39-43.
Gyorko was responsible for the Padres' other run, tying the game with a leadoff homer in the seventh with his third homer, a 404-foot blast into the left field seats.
Both starters were no-decisioned despite strong outings. San Diego's Andrew Cashner pitched six-plus innings, giving up three hits and a run with three walks and three strikeouts. St. Louis' Michael Wacha allowed just five hits and a run in seven innings, walking one and whiffing six.
The Cardinals dropped to 51-28, collecting only four hits. They've managed just six runs during their losing skid.
Pitching dominated the first half of the game. St. Louis' Michael Wacha and San Diego's Andrew Cashner took turns carving up hitters and putting zeroes on the scoreboard.
Wacha experienced just one semi-difficult inning when he gave up an infield single to catcher Derek Norris and a walk to right fielder Matt Kemp with two outs in the third. But left fielder Justin Upton flailed to no avail at a 2-2 changeup to end the threat.
Cashner mowed down the first 10 hitters he faced before third baseman Matt Carpenter singled in the fourth. But the Cardinals broke through in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs and scoring as first baseman Xavier Scruggs rapped into a 4-6-3 double play to drive in right fielder Jason Heyward.
NOTES: St. Louis called up OF Tommy Pham on Friday from Triple-A Memphis and started him in center field, batting eighth. Pham was batting .338 with five homers and 21 RBI in 24 games since returning from a left quad injury on June 6. ... San Diego 3B Will Middlebrooks (ankle) didn't start for the fourth straight game. He was injured Sunday, stepping on a stray bat in the Arizona on-deck circle. ... The Cardinals optioned Thursday night's starter, LHP Tim Cooney, to Memphis to make room for Pham. Cooney could return for Tuesday's day-night doubleheader at the Chicago Cubs as the 26th man.