Peavy throws Padres' 16th shutout of season at Cards

ST. LOUIS -- Once Jake Peavy broke an early sweat in 96-degree heat by surviving a 14-pitch at-bat against Scott Rolen in the first inning, it was clear sailing.

Peavy extended his scoreless streak to 19 innings after prevailing in that confrontation with two men on, and the San Diego Padres got their major league-leading 16th shutout of the season, a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

"In this kind of weather and this kind of environment, you don't want to throw as many pitches as I did right out of the chute," Peavy said. "And we had a runner on third so it wasn't like it was just a good at-bat, it was a good at-bat with a guy 90 feet away."

Peavy (12-5) allowed three hits in six innings, struck out five and walked two, improving to 6-0 with an NL-best 0.89 ERA in nine road starts. His 2.21 overall ERA in second in the majors behind teammate Chris Young (1.82).

Peavy has no explanation for his road success. For a time, the Cardinals believed he was aided by pitching from six inches in front of the rubber, until he showed the umpires he didn't need any help.

"I don't know, it's just one of those things," Peavy said. "I'm certainly comfortable pitching on the road, but I'm comfortable at home, too."

Rolen popped out in the first and lined out in the fourth in a seven-pitch at-bat.

"He wasn't going to give in and we weren't, either," catcher Josh Bard said of the first-inning at-bat. "It's hard to say, but sometimes the game is won or lost in the first inning."

Cla Meredith, Heath Bell and Doug Brocail finished the five-hitter for the Padres, who lead the major leagues with a 3.50 ERA. The bullpen threw 45 pitches, only 13 of them balls, and had a first-pitch strike on all but one hitter.

No other team had more than nine shutouts entering the night. Only one of the Padres' shutouts was a complete game, a five-hitter by Greg Maddux against Cincinnati on May 14.