(Sports Network) - Todd Wellemeyer has put together a recent string of solid starts for the St. Louis Cardinals and will try for an encore performance in tonight's opener of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Wellemeyer hasn't given up more than two runs in each of his last three starts and is coming off a strong performance versus Pittsburgh Wednesday at Busch Stadium. He was reached for just one run and two hits in seven innings of a 5-1 victory, improving to 4-1 with a 3.27 ERA in nine starts.

The righty, who is 2-0 over his last three trips to the hill, faced the Padres once in a relief role on April 12, 2006 as a member of the Florida Marlins. He tossed a perfect inning in a 7-2 Florida loss.

St. Louis, which sits two games behind Chicago in the NL Central, will open a six-game road trip against the Padres and Dodgers on Monday and is 9-10 as the guest this season. The Cardinals just won the last two installments of a three-game interleague set versus the Tampa Bay Rays, posting a 5-4 victory in the series finale on Sunday.

Skip Schumaker's run-scoring double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted St. Louis to victory, while Ryan Ludwick homered for the Cards. Schumaker and Aaron Miles both drove in a pair of runs for St. Louis, which got three hits from All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols.

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse surrendered three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in six innings for the no decision. Chris Perez then helped St. Louis earn its fourth win in its last 12 tries with a perfect ninth.

San Diego will kick off a 10-game homestand versus St. Louis, Cincinnati and Washington and is 8-10 at Petco Park this season. The team has lost two in a row and four of five and fell to 5-12 over its last 17 games following Sunday's 3-2 loss to Seattle in the finale of a three-game interleague series at Safeco Field.

Adrian Gonzalez provided the San Diego offense with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Brian Giles finished with three hits and a run scored for the Padres.

Shawn Estes got the starting nod for the Padres and allowed one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings in a no decision. Heath Bell took the loss after giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Taking the ball for the Padres this evening will be Wilfredo Ledezma, who is 0-0 with a 2.62 earned run average in nine games (1 start) this season. Ledezma last pitched on Wednesday at the Chicago Cubs and did not factor in the outcome of an 8-5 loss. He allowed three runs and five hits in 1 2/3 frames.

Ledezma's first start of the season came on May 8 at Atlanta, when he gave up just a run and a pair of hits in four innings. The Braves won the game, 5-4.

The young left-hander is 1-0 with a 12.00 earned run average in four career relief appearances (3 innings pitched) against St. Louis.

St. Louis and San Diego are meeting for the first time since the Cardinals took four of seven meetings from the Padres a year ago.