May Tosses One-Hitter as Cardinals Blank Padres

• June 15, 2026

Cardinals 3, Padres 0

The St. Louis Cardinals received a masterpiece from Dustin May on Monday night at Busch Stadium. May carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and ultimately spun a complete-game one-hitter, striking out nine as the Cardinals shut out the San Diego Padres 3-0. Jimmy Crooks delivered a two-run double and Alec Burleson added an RBI double to provide all the offense May needed. Lucas Giolito took the loss for the Padres. The victory pushed the Cardinals to a season-best mark and opened the series in dominant fashion.

May Was Untouchable

May needed only 101 pitches to finish off the Padres. He allowed one hit — a Manny Machado single — and one walk to Fernando Tatis Jr., striking out nine without surrendering a run. The complete game was the centerpiece of an efficient evening, as May faced only one batter above the minimum across nine innings. The Padres reached scoring position once and could not capitalize.

Giolito kept pace early before the Cardinals broke through. The right-hander tossed five innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts on 85 pitches. Wandy Peralta and Kyle Hart combined for three scoreless innings of relief afterward, but the early deficit proved insurmountable.

Cardinals Push across the Runs

After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals struck in the fourth. Crooks laced a two-out, two-run double off Giolito to make it 2-0. An inning later, the Cardinals added insurance when Burleson doubled home a run to extend the lead to three. Ivan Herrera, Masyn Winn, and Lars Nootbaar each scored a run on the night.

The Cardinals collected eight hits as a team but left opportunities on the table, going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. With May dealing, however, three runs were more than enough.

What Went Right for the Cardinals

May’s Complete-Game Gem

Nine innings, one hit, zero runs, nine strikeouts. May was in command from the first pitch to the last and never let the Padres settle in. It was the kind of start that anchors a rotation and secures a win.

Crooks Provides the Big Hit

Crooks went 1-for-3 with a two-run double that broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. His two RBI were the difference in the game and gave May all the cushion he needed.

Winn and Walker Stay Hot

Winn went 2-for-4 and Jordan Walker added two hits as well. The pair combined to keep the line moving and put consistent pressure on Giolito throughout his outing.

What Went Wrong for the Cardinals

Missed Chances With Runners On

The Cardinals collected eight hits but went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They left the door open for a closer game than the final margin suggested. Against May’s dominance it never mattered, but stranding that many runners is worth fixing before the offense faces a tighter contest.

Bottom of the Order Goes Quiet

Blaze Jordan, Nathan Church, and JJ Wetherholt combined to go hitless on the night. The Cardinals got their production from the top of the lineup, and more length through the order would have turned a tight game into a comfortable one earlier.

Quick Hits

• The Cardinals improved to 39-31 with the win, while the Padres fell to 37-34.
• May threw the Cardinals’ first complete-game shutout of the season.
• The game took only two hours and eight minutes in front of 26,973 at Busch Stadium.
• The Cardinals went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position; the Padres went 1-for-2 but didn’t score.

Looking Ahead

Dustin May (5-6, 3.75 ERA) earned the win for the Cardinals as Lucas Giolito (2-2, 4.56) took the loss for the Padres.

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The Cardinals and Padres continue their three-game series Tuesday, June 16 at 6:45 pm Central at Busch Stadium. Starting pitchers for Tuesday’s contest will be Michael King (4-5, 3.46) for the Padres and Andre Pallante (7-4, 3.88) for the Cardinals.

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