Cardinals Beat Padres 9-7 as Darvish Struggles

The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 9-7, with Padres starter Yu Darvish allowing eight runs, including two three-run homers, in just 3.1 innings and raising his ERA to 9.18. Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras each hit three-run homers in a decisive second inning, and Ivan Herrera contributed a solo homer and multiple RBIs for the Cardinals. Despite home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres' rally fell short. Darvish, returning from an elbow injury and winless in four starts, faces questions about his future as the Padres remain in a tight playoff race. The Padres' offense showed resilience, but continued struggles from Darvish are a growing concern. Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray earned his 10th win, while Ryan Helsley recorded his 20th save.