Cards fall to San Diego, seventh straight loss

Josh Bard and Mike Cameron both doubled in a pair of runs in the seventh inning, as the National League West-leading San Diego Padres came back to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-5, in the middle contest of a crucial three-game series at Busch Stadium. St. Louis owned a 6 1/2-game cushion atop the NL Central less than a week ago, but the margin has dwindled down to 1 1/2 during the team`s current tailspin. The Cardinals let second-place Houston back in the division race by losing all four games to the Astros over the weekend. Bard went 3-for-4 and scored once for the Padres, who won their sixth straight and still own a two-game lead over the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West. Cameron finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Former Cardinal Woody Williams (11-5), who has put together four straight outstanding efforts, allowed five runs - three earned - on seven hits with two strikeouts and four walks in six innings. Trevor Hoffman notched his league- leading 44th save of the season after a scoreless ninth. With their playoff chances becoming more uncertain, the St. Louis Cardinals turned to the ace of their pitching staff, but 2005 NL Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter allowed six runs on 12 hits with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Ronnie Belliard hit a pair of home runs for the Cardinals, who have lost seven straight. Jim Edmonds went 2-for-5 with two RBI and scored once in his first start since being sidelined with post-concussion syndrome. The Padres took the lead, 6-5, with four runs in the seventh. Roberts grounded a single and Brian Giles doubled him over to third. After Adrian Gonzalez walked, Bard and Cameron both doubled in two runs. San Diego added an insurance run in the eighth on Gonzalez`s two-out RBI single. San Diego scored a run in the first. Roberts led off with a double, moved to second on a wild pitch by Carpenter, and scored as Giles grounded out. St. Louis answered with a run in the second when Belliard sent the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall. The Padres got the run right back in the fourth. Bard singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron. The Cardinals scored two runs in the fourth, as Belliard virtually repeated his previous at-bat, belting a two-run shot to left field on the first pitch he saw. The Cards added two more runs in the fifth, courtesy of a pair of infield miscues. Albert Pujols walked, moved to second as Juan Encarnacion reached on a force attempt after a throwing error by Bard, and to third when Scott Rolen reached on a force attempt after a fielding error by third baseman Russell Branyan. Edmonds followed with a two-run single. Game Notes This was Hoffman`s first game since breaking Lee Smith`s all-time saves record on Sunday...San Diego took two of three from the Cardinals at Petco Park earlier this season and has won nine of the last 13 meetings between the clubs.