Cards Score Five in 9th, Beat Padres

Vince Coleman’s RBI single ignited a five-run ninth-inning rally off Rich Gossage Thursday, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.

It was the fifth straight victory for the Cardinals and the fifth consecutive loss for the Padres.

Steve Braun led off the ninth with a double off Gossage, 2-2, and scored on Coleman’s single. Coleman then stole his second base of the game and 68th of the season. He went to third on Willie McGee’s ground out and scored when Carmelo Martinez dropped Tom Herr’s deep fly ball for an error.

One out later, Jack Clark walked and Terry Pendleton lined a single to score Herr. Center fielder Al Bumbry threw wildly on the play to allow Clark to score and catcher Terry Kennedy then had the ball skip past him and Pendleton came all the way around to score.

The rally completed a comeback from a 6-0 deficit and made a winner of reliever Ken Dayley, 3-0.

Pendleton’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth off starter Eric Show closed the lead to 6-1.

Braun and Coleman singled to start the seventh and chase Show. Craig Lefferts relieved and, two outs later, gave up a three-run homer to Clark.

The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the second on Graig Nettles’ 11th homer.

San Diego added five runs in the fifth. Garry Templeton opened with a single and reached third when shortstop Ozzie Smith booted Carmelo Martinez’s groundball for an error. Tim Flannery singled to center, scoring Templeton and Show beat out a bunt to fill the bases. Bumbry forced Martinez at the plate, but Tony Gwynn singled to score Flannery.

Steve Garvey walked to re-load the bases and Rick Horton replaced starter Kurt Kepshire. One out later, Kennedy hit a two-run double.