ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright worked eight sharp innings for his National League-leading 13th win and Allen Craig made a game-ending leaping catch at the left field wall as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Sunday.
Craig has 12 hits and six RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak for the Cardinals, who took two of three in both series against the Padres this season. The St. Louis defense turned three double plays behind Wainwright (13-5), who allowed two runs with seven strikeouts and worked around two walks.
Yonder Alonso singled three times with an RBI for the Padres. Eric Stults (8-8) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings, stranding two runners in the second and fifth.
Craig's leaping catch robbed pinch hitter Jedd Gyorko of at least an extra-base hit that would have put the Padres ahead and preserved Edward Mujica's 28th save in 30 chances. The Cardinals, who have won nine of 12 and have the majors' best record. The Padres have lost 19 of 24.
Wainwright matched his season high for walks after entering with a NL-low 15 in 146 2-3 innings, but is 3-1 in his two-walk games. He had only one perfect inning but got key outs with breaking balls and struck out Everth Cabrera with a man on third to end the seventh.
He entered with a 1.34 career ERA against the Padres.
The first four Cardinals reached safely in the third capped by Freese's two-run double when center fielder Alexi Amarista missed a diving catch and the ball went to the wall. Freese was thrown out at third on strong relays from right fielder Will Venable and Cabrera and the Cardinals had just one more runner in scoring position the rest of the way.
Matt Carpenter opened the third with a double off the base of the wall in right-center for his second straight hit and leads the majors with 39 multihit games.
