Albert Pujols hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals, boosted by a strong start from Adam Wainwright, beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 Tuesday night.
It was his 15th overall walk-off with St. Louis but his first since rejoining the Cardinals this season.
Tommy Edman began the 10th as the Cardinals' automatic runner at second. After Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked by Taylor Rogers (0-2) and Nolan Arenado fouled out, Edman stole third.
Pujols followed with his second sacrifice fly of the game, lifting a ball to left that easily scored Edman.
Drew VerHagen (3-0), the fourth St. Louis pitcher, started the 10th and benefitted from a perfect throw from left fielder Lars Nootbaar, who had entered the game in the seventh.
Jurickson Profar singled to left with two outs and Nootbaar cut down pinch-runner Jose Azocar at home plate to end the inning.
San Diego dropped to 5-3 in extra innings this season. St. Louis improved to 2-1.
San Diego manager Bob Melvin and Manny Machado were ejected by home plate umpire Chris Segal in the sixth for arguing balls and strikes.
Wainwright struck out 10 with one walk in throwing 115 pitches over seven shutout innings.
Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell made his third start of the season for the Padres. He gave up two runs on two hits in six innings with three walks a wild pitch.
Trent Grisham hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos to make it 2-all.
St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the third.
Goldschmidt extended his hitting streak to 22 games with an RBI double. He later took third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Pujols.
Of Goldschmidt's last 30 hits, 18 have been for extra bases (nine home runs and nine doubles). He has reached base safely in a career-high 36 consecutive games, the longest streak in the major leagues this season.
Goldschmidt's 23 extra-base hits this month are the most in any May in franchise history. He broke a tie with Stan Musial (1954) and Pujols (2009).
Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) is with the team on its road and is participating in fielding and conditioning work, but still isn't cleared for hitting activities.
Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (right shoulder inflammation) threw 40 pitches over two simulated innings to C Andrew Knizner and Nootbaar. Tyler O'Neill (right shoulder impingement) will not be ready for a rehab assignment until at least Friday or Saturday.
Yu Darvish (4-2, 3.76) held Milwaukee to one hit through six innings in his last start but the Brewers broke through in the seventh with two hits, a walk and the sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 victory.
Dakota Hudson (3-2, 3.22) will be making just his second career start and appearance against the Padres and his first since his rookie season in 2019 when he dropped a 12-1 decision to the Padres. Hudson stretched his scoreless streak to 17 2/3 innings at Busch Stadium last Friday but he didn't get through the fifth inning for the third time in his last four starts.
