SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dylan Cease allowed one hit over five innings, Jake Cronenworth and Ramon Laureano homered and the San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Sunday.

Cease (4-10) struck out nine with a walk as the Padres (62-50) won for the seventh time in eight games and moved three games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (65-47).

Jason Adams, Jeremiah Estrada and David Morgan followed Cease and put the Cardinals down in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Robert Suarez worked one inning and earned his 32nd save.

Cronenworth opened the scoring with a two-run homer, his ninth, in the fourth. Laureano added a solo shot, his 16th, in the eighth inning. Jackson Merrill had a three-run triple in the seventh to extend the Padres’ lead to 6-0.

Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-8) allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Gordon Graceffo gave up four runs on four hits in two innings before giving way to Roddery Munoz.

The Cardinals got on the board at the top of the ninth on bases-loaded singles by Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker.

Key moment

Laureano’s home run in the eighth inning was his first as a member of the Padres in his third game with the team. He was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles before the trade deadline.

Key stat

Cease matched his strikeout total for his previous outing, against the New York Mets on July 27.

Up next

The Padres open a series against the Diamondbacks on Monday. RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-7, 5.11 ERA) goes for Arizona, while San Diego has not named a starter.

The Cardinals travel to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers on Monday. Sonny Gray (10-5, 4.38 ERA ) will start for St. Louis against Los Angeles RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.38).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb