ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright has always wanted to make a grand entrance. The veteran St. Louis right-hander got his chance on Sunday.

Wainwright led the Cardinals onto the field with his fist in the air, shaking and cheering to pump up his team as the crowd went wild.

The theatrics worked perfectly as Wainwright was in vintage form, pitching six sharp innings as the Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep by beating the San Diego Padres 4-1.

“I’ve always dreamt about coming out on the field, and cuing music and getting the guys to run out in front of me,” Wainwright said. “I texted the team this morning and said, `I’ve always wanted to do this. You might think it’s corny.’ But they were like, `Let’s do it.”

“It fired me up, that’s what the goal was,” he said.

The actions by the normally businesslike Wainwright set the tone for the rest of the day.

“He brought us out and kicked our fans into gear,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said.

Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong, who drove in two runs, enjoyed the show.

“He’s a leader and a legend in this uniform,” DeJong said. “For us to be out there competing (with him) is a true honor. We were all engaged looking at him.”

The Padres hadn’t swept a series in St. Louis since 1980, and Wainwright (1-0) prevented it from happening this time at Busch Stadium.

The 37-year-old gave up one run and five hits. He struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk while throwing 100 pitches.

The longtime star of the St. Louis rotation was injured for most of last season, going just 2-4 in eight starts. He struggled in his first outing this year, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks in four innings at Pittsburgh.

“I knew coming into today I needed to be in a better place mentally,” Wainwright said. “When I’m good mentally, I’m usually pretty good physically.”

Wainwright struck out two in four of his six innings.

“The stuff was definitely there,” San Diego first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “He looked good. You can tell he’s feeling pretty healthy.”

Hosmer had an RBI single in the third for the Padres, who had won three in a row. San Diego’s other four hits off Wainwright were doubles.

Jordan Hicks recorded four outs for his first save in two chances. He struck out Manny Machado with a runner on to end the eighth.

“He’s got unbelievable talent,” Hicks said of Machado. “But I know I’m good as well.”

DeJong drove in a pair of runs with a fourth-inning double off Matt Strahm (0-2). Matt Carpenter walked and Paul Goldschmidt reached when left fielder Hunter Renfroe lost the ball in the sun. Renfroe was given an error on the play.

Carpenter added a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the seventh. Kolten Wong and Jose Martinez began the inning with back-to-back singles.

Wong pushed the lead to 4-1 with an infield single in the eighth. It brought in Yadier Molina, who led off the inning with a single, his third hit of the game.

St. Louis center fielder Harrison Bader made a pair of running catches and also threw out Renfroe at third on a fly ball to end the third.

San Diego won six of its first nine games entering the contest, its best start since the 2009 team also went 6-3.

“It’s good for a club’s confidence,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Any time you have a chance to win three against a very good club, it’s great, but we didn’t seal the deal on that today.”

YADI ON THE RISE

Molina moved into seventh place on the Cardinals all-time hit list with 1,857. He passed Ken Boyer, who had 1,855.

“It’s a great honor,” Molina said. “I’m seeing the ball pretty well.”

MOVES

St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes and INF Yairo Munoz were sent to Triple-A Memphis prior to the game. LHP Tyler Webb and RHP Giovanny Gallegos were recalled and in uniform.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Franchy Cordero was held out of the lineup due to a sore right elbow. He left Saturday’s game in the fifth inning.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (1-1, 3.27) will face LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 1.38) in the first of a three game series in San Francisco on Monday. Lauer tossed six shutout innings on opening day in a 2-0 win over the Giants.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (0-1, 7.20) will face LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0, 2.08) in the first of a four-game set in St. Louis on Monday.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Austin Hedges loves the depth of San Diego’s lineup.

Hedges and Manny Machado each hit a two-run homer off Andrew Miller in the eighth inning, helping the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Saturday for their third consecutive win.

“Our one through three hitters the last couple years are hitting six through eight,” Hedges said. “It gives us a lot of confidence that no matter who’s coming up, it might be someone else’s day that day.”

Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the eighth with a walk and Hedges, the eighth-place hitter, followed with a go-ahead drive over the wall on in left.

“I just got a fastball out over which is what I was trying to do,” Hedges said. “He’s got such a nasty slider that’s going to get to the back foot. I chased one early but I made an adjustment and stuck to my approach and got my mistake.”

San Diego also caught a break when St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt dropped Ian Kinsler’s foul popup for an error. Kinsler then walked.

After Eric Hosmer flied out, Machado made it 6-3 with his second homer of the season.

It was the first time that Miller (0-1) allowed multiple homers in a game since Sept. 22, 2015, for the New York Yankees at Toronto.

“The free passes are killing me,” Miller said. “I felt like I made an adjustment coming into to do something today and didn’t see the results I wanted, so keep working at it.”

Matt Wisler (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win in his first outing with the Padres. Kirby Yates worked the ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

“Everyone wants to come in and help the team win,” Wisler said. “To be able to do that in the first game is obviously a great first step.”

Marcell Ozuna hit a long two-run homer for St. Louis, and Kolten Wong also drove in a run. Michael Wacha allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, but issued a career-high eight walks and threw 119 pitches, matching his career high from his lone complete game at the New York Mets on July 18, 2017.

“You’re talking about a warrior today,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said about Wacha. “Just getting after it and making a lot of quality pitches and making quality pitches when he needed to. Rode him a little bit longer than maybe would’ve like to have but he’s that kind of guy you can do it with.”

San Diego rookie Chris Paddack lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his second career start. He allowed one run and one hit, struck out four and walked four.

The game was tied at 1 before Ozuna connected against Robert Stock in the fifth, sending a massive drive into the third deck in left field for his first homer of the season.

Hosmer led off the San Diego seventh with his first homer of the season, trimming the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The Padres have won four consecutive games in St. Louis for the first time since Busch Stadium III opened in 1996. San Diego had not won four straight in St. Louis since taking five in a row from 1991-1992.

MOVING ON UP

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina singled in the ninth for his 1,854th career hit, moving him past Curt Flood for ninth on the franchise list.

MEMPHIS BOUND

Following Saturday’s loss, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed the club planned to option right-hander Alex Reyes to Triple-A Memphis. Reyes is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA and six walks in four appearances.

TRAINER’S TABLE

Padres: CF Franchy Cordero left in the fifth inning after aggravating his sore right elbow on a swing in the third inning. Manager Andy Green said he removed Cordero mostly as a precaution and did not have any more information on his status.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson remains on a rehabilitation assignment with Single-A Palm Beach. He is coming back from a right shoulder impingement.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Matt Strahm (0-1, 16.88 ERA) will make his first road start of the season on Sunday. He has not allowed an earned run in two career appearances against the Cardinals.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-0, 9.00) is 6-4 in 11 career starts against the Padres.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — San Diego rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. knew all about the passionate St. Louis fan base — he was given a heads-up by his father, Fernando Sr., who played three seasons for the Cardinals.

Even with that scouting report, the 20-year-old Tatis couldn’t believe his ears on Friday when he received a loud ovation from the crowd in his first at-bat, as a visitor.

“I got goosebumps and everything,” Tatis said. “It was very special.”

Tatis went on to have a special day.

Tatis and pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe homered as the Padres overcame another home run by Paul Goldschmidt to beat St. Louis 5-3 Friday in the Cardinals’ home opener.

Tatis Jr. was born in St. Louis and watched intently as highlights of his father’s exploits were played on the scoreboard prior to the Cardinals 128th home opener. Tatis Sr. hit 60 home runs as a member of the Cardinals including two grand slams in the same inning in a 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 23, 1999.

“He told me that St. Louis fans are great and that they’d remember (him),” Tatis said. “He had a fun time, a great time over here.”

Tatis hit a two-run drive in the seventh off Alex Reyes (0-1). His second homer of the year helped the Padres score three times in the inning for a 5-2 lead.

“With him being a rookie and hitting a home run, I think that’s very special for him,” Renfroe said. “I think it’s very special for his dad as well.”

San Diego manager Andy Green says Tatis will never forget the moment.

“His dad knew how special this place was,” Green said. “He had a ton of respect for the fans and they’re passing that on.”

Padres starter Nick Margevicius allowed one hit over five innings, striking out one and walking one. In his major league debut, he gave up three hits and one run over five innings last weekend against San Francisco.

“I felt like I did a pretty good job executing my game plan,” Margevicius said. “I noticed pretty early getting quick outs was kind of a theme.”

Goldschmidt drew a standing ovation in his first at-bat at Busch Stadium since being traded to St. Louis. He hit his fifth home run in seven games this season, connecting in the eighth inning off Trey Wingenter.

“Any time you hit a home run, it’s nice,” Goldschmidt said. “We were trying to make a comeback there. We weren’t able to do it tonight, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.”

St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty tossed five shutout innings. He gave up six hits, but stranded eight runners. The Padres had a runner reach third base in four of the first five innings.

Reliever Robert Stock (1-0) picked up the win despite giving up the tying run on an RBI single by Marcell Ozuna in the sixth. Kirby Yates closed for his fourth save.

Paul DeJong also homered for St. Louis. The Cardinals have lost their road opener and home opener each of the last two seasons.

“You’ve got to remember, it’s still early April,” DeJong said. “And we’re playing these games tough.”

Franchy Cordero put the Padres ahead to stay 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Reyes started the inning by walking the first two hitters, who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

Renfroe hit a two-run homer off reliever Dominic Leone in the sixth to erase a 1-0 deficit. It was Renfroe’s third homer in the last three games.

ROAD TRIPPERS

San Diego began a 10-game road trip, which will be the Padres’ longest this season. After three in St. Louis, they will play three in San Francisco and four in Arizona before returning home to face Colorado on April 15.

GYORKO RETURNS

St. Louis INF Jedd Gyorko was activated from the disabled list after missing the first six games of the season due to a right calf strain. He grounded out in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter. INF/OF Drew Robinson was sent down to Triple-A Memphis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Ozuna was in the starting lineup after missing Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh with tightness in his side. An MRI showed no structural damage. … RHP Carlos Martinez will throw a side session on April 13. He has been out with a right shoulder cuff strain.

UP NEXT

Padres: San Diego RHP Chris Paddack (0-0, 1.80) allowed two hits and one run in five innings of his major league debut against San Francisco on Sunday.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 3-0 with a 2.32 ERA in five career starts against the Padres.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyler O’Neill capped another St. Louis rally by driving in Kolten Wong for the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Cardinals surged past the Pirates 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Two days after coming back from four runs down to beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh’s home opener, St. Louis again took advantage of another wobbly performance by the Pirates’ bullpen.

Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer off Keone Kela in the eighth to tie the game at 3. Wong led off the 10th with a triple against Nick Burdi (0-1) and scored when O’Neill followed two batters later with a sharp single to right. Bader pushed the lead two when he scored on a wild pitch by Francisco Liriano.

John Gant (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the win. Dakota Hudson collected his first major league save when he stranded the tying run at third in the 10th. Paul DeJong added a solo home run for St. Louis, which finished 3-3 on a season-opening six-game road trip.

Adam Frazier had three hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Jung Ho Kang hit his first home run in 2 1/2 years for Pittsburgh. The Pirates went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

Jameson Taillon dominated the Cardinals for seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts.

Taillon spent 87 pitches keeping the Cardinals off balance. St. Louis needed to see just six pitches from Kela to tie it.

Kela, who walked in the tying run on Monday, inherited a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth. He threw four straight balls to Wong, then saw his second offering to Bader end up in the St. Louis bullpen beyond the wall in center field.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas slogged through five innings. He retired the Pirates in order just once and spent most his night working in and out of trouble. The allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Taillon, expected to be the anchor of a starting staff the Pirates will rely on heavily in an attempt to be a factor in the wide-open NL Central, certainly looked the part. He retired 11 straight at one point before his lone mistake, a fastball over the middle that DeJong sent into the seats in left-center for his second home run of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Marcell Ozuna was scratched shortly before the game with tightness in his right side. Jose Martinez filled in. … RF Dexter Fowler started and went 0 for 3 two days after taking a foul ball off his left foot that required x-rays afterward.

Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson did not start due to soreness in his right (throwing) shoulder. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. … C Elias Diaz (illness) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Bradenton on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Head home for the first time this season and welcome San Diego for a three-game series at Busch Stadium starting Friday. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday before being pushed back due to weather concerns. Jack Flaherty (0-0, 8.31 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Nick Margevicius (0-1, 1.80).

Pirates: Begin a four-game home set with Cincinnati on Thursday. Jordan Lyles makes his first start for the Pirates against Tyler Mahle. The teams split a two-game series in Cincinnati last weekend.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Down four on the road late against a team feeding off the adrenaline of its home opener, the St. Louis Cardinals waited patiently for the buzz to wear off.

When it did, they pounced.

Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer to provide St. Louis with a much-needed spark, and the Cardinals took advantage of a bumpy outing by Pittsburgh’s bullpen to slip past the Pirates 6-5 in 11 innings on Monday.

The Cardinals rallied to tie it in the eighth and again in the ninth then took their first and only lead in the 11th. Paul DeJong singled off Steven Brault (0-1) with two outs, moved to third after a hit batter and a walk and sprinted home from third when Pirates reliever Nick Kingham and catcher Francisco Cervelli got crossed up. Kingham’s pitch squirted past Cervelli and went all the way to the backstop, allowing DeJong to score easily.

“You knew you had to just keep your head down and keep going,” said Wong, who has three home runs through five games after hitting nine in 127 games in 2018. “This was either going to be a game where they kept going or we were going to get them back. We were confident in ourselves. We knew they weren’t too far ahead.”

Jordan Hicks (1-1) worked two scoreless innings for St. Louis. John Gant picked up the save despite issuing a one-out walk to finish a sloppy 4-hour, 53-minute marathon that featured 16 pitchers, 16 walks, four hit batters, three errors and two home plate umpires. Crew chief Jerry Layne left in the seventh after taking a ball off the mask and was replaced by Vic Carapazza.

“That’s the definition of gutty right there, across the board,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “Literally, contributions from everyone. The bullpen was outstanding. … The offense scratched and clawed. What can you say about that kind of game? It was crazy.”

So crazy that St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina made his first career appearance at third base in his 1,875th game in the majors. Molina made the cameo at third in the 11th when Matt Wieters — the last position player available for the Cardinals — came in to pinch hit in the 11th and stayed on to catch in the bottom of the inning. Molina did not have a defensive chance.

“Yadi had this big smile on his face,” Shildt said. “He was happy about it. He loves catching, but he wanted to play some third, I guess.”

PITTSBURGH FIZZLES

Colin Moran went 2 for 3 with three RBI, including a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth that put the Pirates up 5-4. Josh Bell drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, and Chris Archer struck out eight and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings in his 2019 debut.

Archer exited with a 4-0 lead only to watch the bullpen give it away as the Pirates dropped their home opener for the first time since 2014. Six of Pittsburgh’s seven relievers allowed at least one baserunner. Richard Rodriguez allowed his second home run in as many appearances when Wong took him deep in the seventh. Closer Felipe Vazquez stranded the go-ahead run at second base to end the eighth but then gave up Jose Martinez’s game-tying double with one out in the eighth.

A pair of late errors — one by Moran at third base in the seventh, another by shortstop Erik Gonzalez in the ninth- gave St. Louis life.

“Unfortunately with the free (bases) we gave them, too many opportunities late to extend innings, that’s what cost us the game,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

WOBBLY WAINO

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, hoping to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2018, struggled with his command. The 37-year-old walked four — three in the first inning alone — and gave up four runs on four hits in four innings while throwing just 37 of his 73 pitches for strikes.

“I didn’t have command of anything, really,” Wainwright said. “My fastball command was terrible. My cutter was sloppy. My curveball was loopy and the split, I only threw a few of them. You can’t walk guys in the big leagues. No excuses coming from my end. I’ve got to be better.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RF Dexter Fowler left in the bottom of the seventh shortly after getting hit in the left foot with a pitch. Schidt said X-rays on the foot were negative and Fowler is day-to-day. … IF Jedd Gyorko should be ready to return from a strained right calf in time for Thursday’s home opener against San Diego.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season when the teams meet on Wednesday. The 30-year-old allowed five runs in five innings in a loss to Milwaukee on opening day.

Pirates: Jameson Taillon (0-1, 6.00) is 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA in eight career starts against St. Louis.

— Associated Press —