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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
SAN DIEGO PADRES AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
October 15th, 1918 – Division Series, Game 2
In the shadowed calm of Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Cardinals asserted their dominance over the visiting San Diego Padres, claiming a 6–3 victory that now places them one step from the League Championship Series. The performance, while decisive, was a study in balance: timely hitting, disciplined pitching, and strategic execution.
Left-hander Dave Rady delivered a commanding 7-inning effort, allowing six hits and just two runs. His composure on the mound, the quiet precision of each pitch, set the tone for the Cardinals. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t demand applause—it commands respect.
Offensively, the Cardinals struck early. Jaylin Gaddy, the shortstop with the instincts of a predator and the agility of a shadow, delivered a run-scoring triple in the second inning and would go on to steal two bases. Gaddy later described the win as “a lesson in teamwork,” and indeed, every at-bat, every stolen base, and every timely swing reflected a collective focus, a cohesion that is hard to teach but easy to recognize.
Home runs from G. Stretton, J. Crosse, and S. Bosquez punctuated the Cardinals’ steady offensive assault, while contributions from Murrone, Arispe, and Stretton ensured that the Padres could not mount a sustained response. For San Diego, there were flashes of resistance—Packwood, Torres, Moreno—but they were never able to shift the momentum.
The crowd, 48,269 strong, witnessed a game played under partly cloudy skies at a comfortable 59 degrees, with a gentle wind blowing in from right at 11 mph. It was the kind of setting where subtlety matters, where timing and precision can decide the outcome as much as power.
Game 3 will shift back to PETCO Park in San Diego, Thursday, October 17th, as the Padres attempt to reclaim the balance of this series. For now, St. Louis moves forward, quiet yet unmistakably formidable.
Player of the Game: Dave Rady
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