Padres 8, Cardinals 0

The Padres didn’t have to face Lackey in that July series in St. Louis, so this will be their first time seeing him this season. Kelley replaced Kennedy and struck out Martinez, who had hits in his first two at-bats. The Padres have scored 20 runs in their last three games and four or more runs in six of their last eight. He also owns 12 consecutive quality starts – two shy of his career high – and has posted a 2.12 ERA during the run.

Padres: RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 4.22) will attempt to join Dave Freisleben (1974) as the only Padres to win their first three career starts.

When the dust had cleared, Kennedy then fanned Stephen Piscotty for his 10th strikeout of the night and the Padres maintained their 1-0 lead. His hitting streak is at a season-best 13 games and he is hitting. He has a 2.26 ERA and 0.85 in 53 appearances this season, pitching 51⅔ innings, allowing 27 hits and 17 walks while striking out 47, and would obviously appeal to several contenders.

He hit an RBI single in his next at-bat, came around to score on Yangervis Solarte’s two-run home run in the insane five-run fifth. 322 (38-for-118) with five doubles, one triple, seven homers and 25 RBI in that span.

Kennedy escaped another tough jam in the seventh inning with the help of three relievers and Matt Kemp and Justin Upton keyed a seven-run bottom of the inning to lift the Padres to an 8-0 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday night.

RHP Brandon Morrow had his season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday and assistant general manager Josh Stein said the operation went smoothly. I struck out the side that inning. The strikeout pitch deflected off Norris and bounced away, allowing Bourjos to take first.

Lackey allowed five runs, four earned, and nine hits in six innings.

Martinez also flashed some leather in the Padres’ second, snaring Travis Jankowski’s comebacker with two runners on base. The Cardinals will throw two more right-handed pitchers in this series.

Cardinals: Although RF Jason Heyward started his second straight game, the team is being cautious about his sore hamstring. Carpenter has started three there before Saturday.

Kennedy is one of the Padres’ upcoming free agents, owed about $3 million for the rest of the season, and he will now certainly play out the string in San Diego.

Wong, while acknowledging that he, indeed, was in a slump, contended, “It’s not a bad slump that I’m in”. Coming up (to the majors) I’ve wanted to be the best in every aspect of the game and, now when you come up to this position, you realize everyone’s really good up here.

“He took advantage of being able to spread the plate out”, Matheny said.