Descalso lifts Cardinals to 11-inning win

SAN DIEGO -- Daniel Descalso singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 11th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals won 3-2 on Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres, who had only two hits.

Descalso's sharp one-hopper off the glove of diving second baseman Orlando Hudson -- his third hit -- scored Allen Craig, who drew a leadoff walk off Ernesto Frieri (1-2) and stole second. Frieri struck out Skip Schumaker and rookie Tony Cruz, who had three hits in his big league debut.

Miguel Batista (3-1) pitched two innings for the win. Eduardo Sanchez pitched the 11th for his fifth save in seven chances.

The Padres lost their season-high fifth straight and dropped to 8-20 at home, worst in the majors. It was the first time in six games they scored more than one run.

The Cardinals have won four straight and eight of nine.

The Cardinals stranded a runner in every inning except the fourth and 10th.

San Diego's Chase Headley walked leading off the 10th and was sacrificed by Cameron Maybin before being stranded when pinch-hitter Jorge Cantu hit into a double play.

St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the first on Lance Berkman's two-out infield single.

San Diego's Brad Hawpe hit a two-run homer to straightaway center in the bottom of the inning, one batter after Ryan Ludwick reached on shortstop Ryan Theriot's two-out throwing error. The Padres had only two baserunners after the homer until the 10th.

Hawpe made a diving catch of Jon Jay's line drive to end the seventh with a runner on third. The Cardinals had just tied the game at 2-2 on Theriot's groundout. Cruz led off the inning with his second big league hit, a double, and advanced on Descalso's single before being caught in a rundown on a grounder to first by pinch-hitter Colby Rasmus.

Cruz's first big league hit was a single up the middle in the second. Cruz was recalled from Class AAA Memphis on Monday after backup catcher Gerald Laird was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right index finger.

Neither starter factored in the decision. St. Louis' Kyle McClellan held San Diego to two unearned runs and two hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none. San Diego's Aaron Harang allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one.