ST. LOUIS, March 31 (UPI) -- Cameron Maybin hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning Thursday and ignited a two-run 11th that brought the San Diego Padres a 5-3 win over St. Louis.
Making his San Diego debut, Maybin kept the Padres alive in the ninth with a two-out blast to center off Ryan Franklin. He then delivered a single with two away in the 11th, and when shortstop Ryan Theriot misplayed the throw back to the infield, Chase Headley scored all the way from first.
Maybin went to second on the error, but pulled up with a cramp in his right leg. Pinch-runner Cedric Hunter scored an insurance run on a base hit by Nick Hundley.
Maybin came to San Diego this season after spending three years with the Florida Marlins.
The Padres overcame a one-run deficit on three occasions and the two-run 11th made a winner out of Pat Neshek, who escaped a two-walk jam in the bottom of the 10th. Heath Bell worked a perfect 11th to earn the save.
The winning runs came off Bryan Augenstein, the sixth St. Louis pitcher.
Matt Holliday drove in two St. Louis runs, one of them coming on an eighth-inning homer that gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
