Padres Win 7-3 Over Cardinals Behind Cease's Dominant Pitching

Dylan Cease delivered a dominant performance for the San Diego Padres, pitching five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and allowing only one hit in a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Cease's strong outing marked his first win since June 21 and came after the Padres decided to retain him at the trade deadline despite significant interest from other teams. Offensively, Jake Cronenworth and Ramon Laureano contributed key home runs, with Laureano's being his first as a Padre following his recent acquisition. The Padres extended their lead with a crucial three-run triple by Jackson Merrill in the seventh inning, helped by a strong bullpen effort from relievers Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, and Robert Suárez, who secured his 32nd save. The Padres have now won seven of eight games, closing the gap in the NL West standings behind the Dodgers. The team's strategic decision to keep Cease and bolster their bullpen appears to be paying off as they prepare for upcoming series against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.