Brendan Ryan went 4-for-4 and Albert Pujols had three RBIs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals avoided a three-game series sweep by posting an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.

Ryan scored three runs and hit his first homer of the season in the fifth inning. He singled three times and also stole a base.

Pujols also homered in the fifth for his first homer since May 14 and drove in runs with a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly.

P.J. Walters (1-0) pitched five shutout innings to record his first major-league victory. Walters gave up four hits and two walks and struck out four.

St. Louis led 6-0 after Matt Holliday’s RBI single in the seventh before the Padres crawled back within reach. San Diego scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, including a run-scoring single by Jerry Hairston Jr., who hit game-winning homers in each of the first two games of the series.

Ryan Ludwick, who went 3-for-5, moved the game back out of reach with a two-run single in the eighth.

San Diego starter Wade LeBlanc (2-3) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.