Padres snap losing streak with 2-1 win over Cardinals

SAN DIEGO -- Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman combined on a three-hitter and Robert Fick singled in the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth as the San Diego Padres snapped a season-high eight-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

Ryan Klesko started the winning rally with a one-out double to left-center off Jason Marquis (9-8) and was replaced by pinch-runner Damian Jackson. Joe Randa was intentionally walked to bring up Fick, who drove a 2-1 pitch to right-center to score Jackson.

The Padres improved to one game over .500 (51-50) and kept a three-game lead over second-place Arizona in the NL West.

Peavy, the Padres' ace, struck out 10 and allowed two hits and one run in eight innings.

Hoffman (1-4) took over in the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to John Rodriguez. He got Albert Pujols to fly out, intentionally walked Jim Edmonds, then struck out John Mabry and got Mark Grudzielanek to fly out to right.

Peavy was coming off his worst start of the season, when he allowed seven runs in five innings of a 12-0 loss at New York last Thursday.

He was strong against the Cardinals, though, allowing one run and walking two while reaching double figures in strikeouts for the fifth time this season.

Peavy allowed Abraham Nunez's RBI triple to right to score Mabry with two outs in the second, then retired 19 of the last 21 batters he faced. Mabry reached on a one-out walk.

Marquis pitched a career-high 8 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out four and walking five.

Peavy scored the Padres' first run after beating out an infield single with one out in the third. He advanced on Dave Roberts' single to right and scored on Mark Loretta's single to left. Brian Giles walked to load the bases, but Klesko hit into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Notes: Padres C Ramon Hernandez has decided to have surgery on his injured left wrist. Hernandez sought a second opinion from a specialist in Los Angeles, who confirmed that he has a small cartilage tear. Surgery is scheduled for Friday and Hernandez is expected to be out 3 to 6 weeks. ... Giles was called out on an appeal in the sixth after taking second on Klesko's fly out to center fielder Edmonds. Replays showed Giles' foot was still on the bag when Edmonds made the catch.