While the Cardinals pitchers worked around 11 hits to keep the Padres scoreless, the Cardinals' lineup pushed across three runs on five hits, a pair of walks, and a hit

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.

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.

Michael McGreevy and the Cardinals wrap up a fiery four-game home series vs. the Padres with Sunday's 1:15 p.m. start at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals are in their 18th postseason since 1969, the year the Padres debuted as a franchise. The Padres will be making their sixth playoff appearance and their first in 14 years.

The San Diego Padres won their final game of a four-game set against the Wild Card-hopeful St. Louis Cardinals, 9-2. Manny Machado had a 4-for-5 day with three

The Cardinals made franchise history they haven't achieved in 82 years following their shutout win over the Padres on Friday.

The Padres’ only saving grace in their current position is they began the second half in a better spot than they did last year, when they were just one game over .500. These Padres were 52-44 before splitting their first six games after the break, at the Nationals and Marlins, and then dropping the first two games in St. Louis.