ST. LOUIS (AP) - Yadier Molina thought Carlos Martinez was done early.
It turned out a nosebleed that halted Wednesday's day-night doubleheader opener for about 12 minutes in the second inning was just a minor issue. The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander was even better once the bleeding stopped.
"It actually really helped me stay focused after the fact," Martinez said through an interpreter after working seven dominant innings in a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. "I was trying to stay in the game, and my mind in the game where it should be."
Martinez said he also dealt with the issue last season and awoke with a nosebleed on Wednesday. The pitcher assured manager Mike Matheny he was fine, and trainers staunched the flow with cotton balls and petroleum jelly while Martinez sat on the field near the mound.
"We were going to sit there and plug it until he pitched, there wasn't another option," Matheny said.
Only 11,191 fans were in the seats for the opener, rescheduled from a rainout on Tuesday night. Paid attendance was 40,184.
"When I came out early I was like 'Wow, what happened here?'" Molina said.
Matt Holliday, Jedd Gyorko and Molina homered off Colin Rea (5-4). Gyorko is 10 for 17 against his old team with three homers and seven RBIs. He has homered against the Padres four straight games.
"I've said the same thing for three or four games," Gyorko said. "I don't really have an explanation for it."
San Diego opened with Travis Janikowski's double and Ryan Schimpf's two-run homer but had just two more hits off Martinez (9-6). After play resumed, he retired 11 of his next 12 batters.
Padres manager Andy Green ventured onto the field during the delay but not to try to hurry anybody.
"I want the same courtesy afforded to my pitcher if he was going through that out there and give him some time," Green said. "Now if it keeps happening repetitively, we've got to do something about it."
Aledmys Diaz had two hits and has reached safely in 23 consecutive games, longest by a rookie this season. He is 13 for 19 against San Diego with a homer and four RBIs.
Seung Hwan Oh earned his third save in four chances.
Rea had been 2-0 with a 3.68 ERA in his previous four starts. He allowed four runs in six innings in his first outing in two weeks.
"I think the biggest thing was maybe nibbling a little bit too much," Rea said. "I made a lot of mistakes and they took advantage of them."
HOMER HAPPY
San Diego has homered in 17 consecutive games, extending a franchise record. The Cardinals have homered in a season-best 10 straight games, totaling 21 in that time.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: C Christian Bethancourt took a foul off his right knee guard in the seventh but stayed in the game.
UP NEXT
Padres: Andrew Cashner (4-7, 5.05) works the series finale. He has lost two of his last three starts.
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.19) is coming off a three-hit shutout against the Marlins and has allowed one run in his last 23 innings.