Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Right-hander Jordan Lyles has struggled in five starts since carrying a perfect game into the eighth inning on May 15.
     
Monday night in St. Louis marked the second straight start in which Lyles allowed 11 hits and the fourth time in five starts that he gave up four or more runs. It was also the fourth time over those five starts that Lyles gave up two homers in a game.
     
Over those five starts, Lyles has allowed 23 runs on 42 hits and nine walks with 18 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings for a 7.48 earned run average and a 1.84 WHIP.
     
In his first two starts after being promoted from the bullpen, Lyles allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings - for a 0.73 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP.
     
NOTEBOOK:
     
--INF Cory Spangenberg homered Monday night. It was his third home run in a span of seven games. Over those seven games, Spangenberg is 8-for-24 (.333) with two triples, the three homers, six RBIs and six runs scored for a .360 on-base percentage, a .875 slugging percentage and a 1.235 OPS. Four of his six homers this season have come against National League Central teams.
     
--RF Franmil Reyes is 1-for-13 in his last three games with seven strikeouts since hitting his sixth homer last Tuesday at Petco Park. Five of Reyes' six homers came in a span of seven games. The recent slump has taken his batting average back down to .208.
     
--INF-OF Allen Córdoba, who had been sidelined since the start of spring training with a concussion suffered in an off-season automobile accident, was 1-for-5 in his first game of the season as the designated hitter at Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Monday night.
     
--RHP Phil Maton allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout Monday night in his second rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio Monday night.
     
--The Padres have been held to two runs or less in 26 of their 68 games this season. That is tied for the third-most, low-scoring games in the Major Leagues this season.