Andre Pallante Shines as Cardinals Overcome Padres in Close Contest

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 16: Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Andre Pallante delivered an impressive performance, dominating the mound for much of the game as the St. Louis Cardinals edged past the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night. Before the game, a heartwarming moment took place when JJ Wetherholt’s fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Ingoldsby, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, recalling Wetherholt's childhood dream of becoming a Major League player, a dream that has come to fruition.

The Cardinals struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Lars Nootbaar walked to lead off. After a flyout from Masyn Winn, Jimmy Crooks grounded out, allowing Nootbaar to advance to second. Blaze Jordan then smacked a double to left-center, bringing Nootbaar home for a 1-0 lead. Nathan Church followed with a single, doubling the advantage to 2-0.

Pallante was nearly perfect until the fifth inning, when he allowed his first hit. With two outs, Samad Taylor managed a hit up the middle, deflected by Pallante but ultimately resulting in a safe call after a challenge from manager Oli Marmol. Taylor stole second, setting up Ty France to drive him in with a single, narrowing the score to 2-1. The Cardinals quickly responded, with Iván Herrera getting hit by a pitch, leading to a sacrifice fly by Nootbaar that extended the lead to 3-1.

San Diego kept the pressure on, as Fernando Tatis Jr. singled and Jackson Merrill doubled him in, making it a tight 3-2 game in the sixth inning. The Cardinals had their own opportunities, with Wetherholt stealing second, but were unable to capitalize. Pallante's night concluded with seven innings pitched, yielding just four hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters.

Ryne Stanek took over in the eighth, shutting down the Padres in order, much to the delight of the fans. The ninth inning brought some tension as Riley O’Brien took the mound, but he managed to close out the game, despite a walk to Manny Machado. The Cardinals will look to sweep the series against the Padres Wednesday afternoon, with Kyle Leahy set to start for St. Louis.