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**Padres Cruise Past Cardinals Behind Cease’s Dominant Outing**
**SAN DIEGO –** Dylan Cease delivered a masterful performance, allowing only one hit over five shutout innings, as the San Diego Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Sunday. The victory marked the Padres’ seventh win in their last eight games, bringing them within three games of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cease (4-10) racked up nine strikeouts and issued only one walk, showcasing the kind of dominance the Padres have been seeking. The bullpen followed Cease’s lead, with Jason Adams, Jeremiah Estrada, and David Morgan each pitching scoreless innings to shut down the Cardinals’ offense. Robert Suarez closed out the game with a scoreless ninth, earning his 32nd save of the season.
The Padres’ offense was ignited by Jake Cronenworth, who blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning, opening the scoring. Jackson Merrill extended the lead with a three-run triple in the seventh. Ramon Laureano, recently acquired from the Baltimore Orioles, capped off the Padres’ scoring with a solo home run in the eighth, his first as a Padre.
Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-8) pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits. The Cardinals struggled to generate offense until the ninth inning, when Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker hit back-to-back bases-loaded singles to drive in three runs, but it was too little, too late.
Laureano’s home run was a welcome addition for the Padres, who are hoping he will be a key contributor down the stretch. Cease matched his strikeout total for his previous outing, against the New York Mets on July 27.
The Padres will begin a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, with Brandon Pfaadt slated to start for Arizona. The Padres have yet to announce their starting pitcher. The Cardinals will travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on Monday, with Sonny Gray pitching against Tyler Glasnow.
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