Padres 7, Cardinals 3
(This game was the result of a simulation done through What If Sports. It matched the San Diego Padres All-Time Team against the St. Louis Cardinals All-Time Team. This game did not actually happen, but this simulation took place at Sportsman Park in St. Louis, Missouri.)
This game was a battle of offense as the two teams combined for 26 hits. Ultimately it was the 14th-seed San Diego Padres who upset the 3rd-seed St. Louis Cardinals in a 7-3 win. For the Padres, center fielder Gene Richards, second baseman Bip Roberts, and left fielder Dave Winfield reached base three times, while right fielder Tony Gwynn and catcher Benito Santiago reached base four times. It was not a great outing for starters Bob Gibson and Randy Jones, who both went six innings.
Tight Game Early
The San Diego Padres opened the game with a one-out single from Roberts, the center fielder. The next batter, Gwynn, followed that up with a double to open the scoring 1-0 for San Diego. Tony Gwynn went 3-for-4 in this game including two singles and a double, he got on base four times for the Padres. The inning ended with back-to-back strikeouts from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Winfield. St. Louis responded in their half of the first. After a lead-off walk by left fielder Lou Brock, who was later caught stealing, second baseman Rogers Hornsby hit a single up the middle. A ground ball by right fielder Stan Musial put Hornsby in scoring position with two outs. Thankfully for the Cardinals, center fielder Jim Edmonds singled to right, making the score 1-1 after one.
Not much happened for either team in the second inning. The Padres were retired in order, and the Cardinals left shortstop Ozzie Smith on second. In the third, the Padres made noise, but it didn’t result in any runs. After a one-out walk from Richards, Gwynn advanced him with a single. With Richards on third and two outs, Gonzalez struck out, leaving Gibson unscathed. In the bottom of the third, Brock popped to second. After a single from Hornsby, Stan the Man grounded into a fielder’s choice. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Edmonds grounded to Jones, ending the inning.
Padres and Cardinals Go Back and Forth
Winfield led off the top of the fourth with a single before center fielder Chase Headley flied out to left. Santiago scored Winfield with a double to put the Padres up 2-1. But that was all the Padres produced in the fourth, as shortstop Garry Templeton lined out to end the inning. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols led off the bottom half with a single. On the next play, catcher Yadier Molina hit a double, scoring Pujols from first to tie the game at two. Fortunately for Jones, he got the next three batters to ground out, keeping the score at 2–2 after four.
Padres Start Swinging
Richards led off the fifth with a walk and advanced to third on a Roberts single. Gwynn advanced the runner by reaching first on an error, putting the Padres up 3–2. In the 6th, the Padres padded their lead with a leadoff Home Run from Headley. The Padres added another with a double from Benito Santiago. Templeton scored Santiago to put the Padres up 5–2 after the 6th inning. That was the end for Gibson, as Jason Isringhausen relieved him to start the seventh.
The Padres got another one in the seventh with a Gonzalez double and a Winfield single. The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the seventh with a single from designated hitter Enos Slaughter. Back-to-back walks advanced him to third with no outs. Musial grounded into a double play, scoring Slaughter in making the game 6–3 after seven. The San Diego Padres notched one more run in the ninth, as Templeton hit a sacrifice fly to score Winfield from third. The Cardinals did not score in the ninth, and the Padres won, 7–3.
What’s Next for Padres?
With the win, the San Diego Padres will take on the New York Mets All-Time Team in the next round of the LWOS All-Time Tournament. As the 14th seed in the National League, the Padres are looking to keep this Cinderella story going in Queens. The New York Mets are also looking to continue to surprise after upsetting the Cincinnati Reds on the road.
