Padres vs Cardinals: Donovan, Contreras Power St. Louis to 9-7 Win (July 24, 2025)

Friday, July 25th, 2025

Cardinals Power Past Padres 9-7 in Series Opener

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres 9-7 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras each hit three-run homers in a pivotal second inning, propelling the Cardinals to victory.

Cardinals Offense Explodes

Willson Contreras was a driving force for the Cardinals, accumulating four RBI, highlighted by his three-run blast in the second. Donovan also delivered a three-hit performance, including his own three-run homer in the same frame. Iván Herrera contributed significantly with three hits and two RBI, including a solo homer in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals wasted no time, with Contreras driving in Donovan with a two-out double off San Diego starter Yu Darvish in the first inning. The second inning proved to be the decisive one. Jordan Walker singled and moved to second on a two-out walk drawn by Victor Scott II before Donovan cleared the bases with his home run. Herrera then singled, Alec Burleson doubled, and Contreras followed with his three-run homer, pushing the score to 7-2.

The Cardinals extended their lead in the fourth when Victor Scott II drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on Iván Herrera's single, making it 8-5.

Padres Mount a Comeback Bid

The San Diego Padres attempted to claw their way back into the game. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each collected three hits for San Diego. Tatis Jr. led off the third inning with a home run, and Machado added a two-run shot that narrowed the deficit to 7-5. Gavin Sheets had an RBI groundout, and Xander Bogaerts scored when Bryce Johnson reached on a throwing error in the fifth inning.

Pitching Performances

Sonny Gray (10-4) earned the win for St. Louis, giving up seven runs—six earned—on 11 hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure his 20th save of the season. For the Padres, Yu Darvish (0-3) took the loss.

Key Moment: The Decisive Second Inning

The game's turning point arrived in the second inning when the Cardinals' offense unleashed a barrage of hits. After Jordan Walker singled and Victor Scott II walked, Brendan Donovan’s three-run home run put the Cardinals firmly in control. The momentum continued as Iván Herrera singled and Alec Burleson doubled, setting the stage for Willson Contreras’s three-run homer, which solidified a commanding 7-2 lead early in the game.

Key Stat: Cardinals' Home Dominance

The St. Louis Cardinals boast an impressive 173-87 record at home against the San Diego Padres. Their .665 win percentage in home games against the Padres is the third-best by one home team against any visitor in MLB history, with a minimum of 100 games played, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Up Next in the Series

The series continues on Friday. San Diego's Nick Pivetta (10-2, 2.81 ERA) is scheduled to start against St. Louis's Miles Mikolas (5-7, 5.20 ERA).

In summary

The St. Louis Cardinals opened their four-game series against the San Diego Padres with a 9-7 victory on July 24, 2025, at Busch Stadium. Key offensive contributions from Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras, who both hit three-run homers in the second inning, propelled the Cardinals to an early lead. Iván Herrera also had a strong performance with three hits and two RBI. While Padres' stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado contributed with home runs and multiple hits, they couldn't overcome the Cardinals' offensive outburst. Sonny Gray secured his 10th win for St. Louis, despite giving up seven runs, and Ryan Helsley notched his 20th save. This win continued the Cardinals' historical home dominance over the Padres.

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