SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Tuesday night to win the first two of a three-game series.
Miles Mikolas (1-1), who broke into the majors with San Diego in 2012, improved to 3-2 against his old squad. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.
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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Tuesday night to win the first two of a three-game series.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas delivers during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish reacts after striking out St. Louis Cardinals' Michael Siani during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras hits a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras (40) looks skyward after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Ryan Helsley worked the ninth for his first save in two chances.
The Padres held a pregame moment of silence for Larry Lucchino, their CEO and president from 1995-2001 who led the push for Petco Park. Lucchino died early Tuesday morning of congenital heart failure. He was 78.
Before the videoboard went dark, it showed a picture of Lucchino holding the 1998 NL championship trophy during a parade through downtown a few days after the Padres were swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Darvish (0-1), who is in his fourth season with San Diego, pitched efficiently until the sixth. Leading 2-1, Darvish walked Brendan Donovan with one out, struck out Paul Goldschmidt and then allowed Contreras' homer to right, his second. Contreras also hit a two-run homer in St. Louis' 6-2 win Monday night.
“This dude is really good," manager Oliver Marmol said of Contreras. “And he's competitive and he wants to kill. I'm glad he's in our uniform.”
Said Mikolas: “When he swings the bat, it's very special. It's fun to hear the ball come off the bat. I think I was in the dugout secretly wishing for him to get one right there. Everyone wants him to hit a home run, but I'm sitting there like, ‘This would be a really nice time for him to hit another one.’”
The Cardinals tacked on two more in the eighth. Yuki Matsui loaded the bases without getting an out and was relieved by Wandy Peralta. Nolan Arenado then hit a dribbler down the third-base line.
Third baseman Tyler Wade's throw home was in time, but Luis Campusano didn't get his foot on the plate and Donovan scored on the catcher's error. Alec Burleson followed with a sacrifice fly for a three-run lead.
Marmol highlighted the importance of Donovan running inside the third-base line to obscure Campusano's view and rookie Victor Scott II challenging the arm of right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. while legging out a double in the third, setting up the Cardinals' first run.
“Those little things add up over 162 games and our guys are locked in on them,” Marmol said. “There's a lot of different ways to win a ballgame.”
Darvish was charged with three runs and five hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked one.
San Diego grabbed an early 2-1 lead. Luis Campusano hit an RBI single in the second, and Wade added a run-scoring double in the fourth.
Scott doubled leading off the third and scored on Masyn Winn's sacrifice fly.
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Cardinals LHP Zack Thompson (0-1, 8.44 ERA) and Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (0-1, 9.72) are scheduled to start the series finale on Wednesday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas delivers during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish reacts after striking out St. Louis Cardinals' Michael Siani during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras hits a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras (40) looks skyward after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Conor Garland broke a tie with 5:34 left and the Vancouver Canucks overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the second-round playoff series.
Garland took a short pass from Dakota Joshua, faked a slap shot at the right circle and slipped a wrist shot between goalie Stuart Skinner's legs from a sharp angle for Vancouver's second goal in 39 seconds and third in 4:48.
“Everybody wants to be in that moment,” Garland said. “We understand when you have to execute and when you dig a hole like that, you got to execute if you want to get back in the game. And I think that was the biggest thing in the third, that we just executed and buried our chances.”
Game 2 is Friday night in Vancouver.
Elias Lindholm got the comeback started with 2:59 left in the second period. J.T. Miller cut it to 4-3 at 9:38 of the third, and Nikita Zadorov tied it with 6:13 remaining.
“Maybe four or five months ago, or maybe last year, you might have seen some frustration, some laziness or when something frustrated us, we take a bad penalty,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “If you look at it, when they’re 4-1, I thought we still stayed disciplined. We weren’t pinching, we weren’t selling the farm. And I think that’s maturity of the year, how we’ve kind of built our resolve.”
Joshua scored early in the second period and assisted on Lindhom's goal.
“The belief is always there,” Joshua said. “Just to know that you got to keep playing to the end, anything can happen.”
Arturs Silovs stopped 14 shots for the Canucks.
Zach Hyman scored twice for Edmonton to take the playoffs goals lead with nine. Mattias Ekholm and Cody Ceci also scored, and Skinner made 19 saves.
“They’re a good team and they were doing everything they could to come back and we were doing everything we could to hold on to the lead,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who was limited to an assist. “That happens in the playoffs. You try to hold on to lead and sometimes you’re maybe a little too passive.”
After getting just five shots on goal in the first period, Vancouver outshot Edmonton 19-7 in the last two periods.
“It’s a resilient group,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes we’re not pretty. Sometimes things happen. But I just feel like it’s a real close group. And this is when you need a close group, these situations. And I thought everyone had something to contribute tonight. There were no passengers.”
Edmonton was coming off a six-day break after beating Los Angeles in five games in the first round. Vancouver eliminated Nashville in Game 6 on Friday night.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers with Teddy Blueger during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Elias Lindholm shoots the puck at Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner during the second period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov, Dakota Joshua, Conor Garland and Ian Cole, from left, celebrate Joshua's goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Elias Lindholm is congratulated for his goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers with Teddy Blueger during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nils Hoglander, Teddy Blueger, Nikita Zadorov, Ilya Mikheyev and Filip Hronek celebrate Zadorov's goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) looks back at the puck as it bounces out of the net after Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland, hidden back left, scored during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' J.T. Miller (9) reacts after scoring against Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Darnell Nurse (25) watches during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland, left, celebrates his goal, next to Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland, left, celebrates his goal as Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse reacts during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland, back, scores the winning goal against Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Darnell Nurse (25) defends during the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
