Cardinals lose to Padres, fall to four games behind Houston

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- After finding plenty of ways to lose games, the San Diego Padres have finally discovered how to win.

Behind a solid start from Oliver Perez and clutch outings from three relievers, the Padres won their fourth straight game with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

The win was San Diego's second in a row over St. Louis, a team that came into Monday's series opener having beaten the Padres in 29 of 34 games, dating to the start of the 1999 season. San Diego won 5-4 in 10 innings Monday.

"I don't know what went on before I got here," closer Rod Beck said, "but this team is slowly but surely learning how to win."

Beck is one of the biggest reasons for San Diego's improvement.

The Padres were floundering at 16-41 when they signed Beck on June 2. But since then, last-place San Diego is 23-22.

With 277 career saves, Beck has been perfect in 11 chances with the Padres. Manager Bruce Bochy believes the right-hander has made a big difference.

"He has helped turn our club around," Bochy said.

St. Louis got bad news before the game when it learned right-hander Matt Morris has a broken right index finger after getting hit by a line drive Monday night.

Morris was placed on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss three-to-six weeks.

Perez (4-4) pitched under control more than he has in most of his 14 starts this season. He allowed two runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking one.

"I've been working on being comfortable and pitching within myself," Perez said. "I've been feeling good out there."

After lasting fewer than five innings in each of his two previous starts, Perez pitched into the seventh for just fifth time this season.

Luther Hackman and Mike Matthews provided a lift for the Padres by working out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the eighth inning.

Hackman relieved Perez to start the inning and loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Albert Pujols, a walk to Scott Rolen and Edgar Renteria's single.

But Hackman was bailed out when Eduardo Perez lined a shot right at second baseman Mark Loretta, who flipped to shortstop Ramon Vazquez to double Rolen off second. Matthews relieved and got Tino Martinez to fly out to end the inning.

"That's a huge miss when you load the bases like that," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "Scott's a good baserunner, but that's a big no-no."

Cardinals left-hander Jeff Fassero (1-5) turned in a solid performance in his first start in nearly two years. Fassero replaced the struggling Garrett Stephenson in the rotation and allowed one run on five hits in four innings.

Fassero, who had made 168 relief appearances since his last start on Aug. 8, 2000, struck out seven and walked one.

"I got stronger as the game went on," Fassero said. "I don't think I could have pitched much better than I did."

Rondell White put the Padres up 1-0 in the first inning with an RBI single. San Diego added to its lead on Ryan Klesko's sacrifice fly and White's RBI grounder to make it 3-0 in the fifth.

The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Rolen and Renteria's RBI single.

Notes: San Diego traded LHP Jesse Orosco to the New York Yankees for a player to be named. ... Fassero's longest outing this season had been last Thursday at Los Angeles when he pitched three innings. ... In Perez's 14 starts, he has yet to go a game without walking a batter, and he walked one batter for just the second time. ... Morris was replaced on the roster by right-hander Mike Crudale, recalled from Triple-A Memphis.