'Locked in' Gray bounces back in big way to help Cards split key set

ST. LOUIS -- Sonny Gray isn’t used to struggling the way he has over the past couple months.

In 10 previous starts heading into the Cardinals’ 4-1 win over the Padres on Thursday afternoon, the veteran right-hander logged a 5.86 ERA, with 13 home runs allowed.

That last number seemed especially stark, considering Gray yielded only eight homers in 32 starts last season, when he posted a 2.79 ERA for the Twins.

Between starts, Gray and pitching coach Dusty Blake did a little digging into the reasons.

“It was a good week of preparation, for sure,” Gray said, standing in front of his locker at Busch Stadium. “Went through all the different scenarios throughout the week, just trying to draw from that.”

Gray didn’t walk a batter, allowed only three hits and one run while striking out four Padres as St. Louis (67-67) earned a split of the four-game set with surging San Diego, which is 26-11 since the All-Star break.

The Padres (76-60) hold the second NL Wild Card spot -- eight games ahead of the Cards, who are battling for the third and final WC position.

“He was locked in,” manager Oliver Marmol said of Gray. “It was hot out there, and he was on the attack. Him giving us six innings was important.”

The lone run charged to Gray was a leadoff home run by NL Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Merrill on the first pitch of the fifth inning -- an 83.1 mph sweeper at the bottom of the strike zone.

“The homer, on the 0-0 pitch, is not something I do a ton of, and didn’t truly expect him to swing through competitively,” Gray said. “If he swung, I was OK with it.”

For the Cardinals, who are battling to get back into playoff contention, every win is important -- especially at home against a team ahead of them in the NL Wild Card race. And especially heading into a weekend series in the Bronx against a Yankees team with the AL’s best record.

“[Gray’s] our guy. He’s going to continue to be on the attack.” Marmol said. “He’s just so prepared. You watch him day to day, you watch him prepare for his start, and it’s impressive. He knows what’s on the line and he’s going to give us his best shot.”

The young players in the lineup were key, too. Masyn Winn hit a solo home run in the sixth. Alec Burleson had a hit and a walk. Victor Scott II logged a ground-rule double and a bunt single, and could have had two if not for an outstanding play by Manny Machado at third.

This was Scott’s third multihit game since he was recalled from the Minors in early August, improving his average to .254 in that stretch.

“He’s made some really good improvements when it comes to his overall swing and flattening it out,” Marmol said, “having more of a line-drive approach, trying to stay out of the air, and using his overall game and his ability to bunt.”