but the St. Louis Cardinals are starting to sound like the injury bug is taking a lot of the fun out of their great 2012 start. Lance Berkman just became their sixth player to be placed on the disabled list.

Sixth.

At this particular time, on this particular subject, the Padres will have no comment.

Only hours after starting pitcher Cory Luebke confirmed that he’ll have reconstructive surgery on his throwing elbow — he’s one of 13 teammates on the disabled list, one of five out for at least 60 days — the Padres opened their first extensive road trip of the year with a 4-3 loss to the defending World Series champions at Busch Stadium. For the sixth time this season, then, the Padres’ longest win streak was ended at two.

The game-winner Monday was a two-run homer with two out in the eighth by Tyler Greene, who ripped into a 100 mph fastball from reliever Andrew Cashner and drove it out to right center.

“He put a good swing on it,” said a solemn Cashner. “I put the pitch where I wanted it.”

The homer counteracted a go-ahead, two-out, two-run double by Jesus Guzman in the top of the inning, spoiling the start of a journey in which the Padres play 10 games in 10 days in three different cities.

Still, for a game three weeks into May, there was a lot more disappointment showing in the Padres clubhouse afterward. A night earlier, they’d beaten the Los Angeles Angels in most unusual fashion, 13 innings of gut-wrenching baseball. And, quite suddenly, they’d had a hard-earned lead taken right back by the Cardinals.

“Coming here, first game of the series after yesterday’s ups and downs,” said starting pitcher Clayton Richard, “yeah, this is emotional.”

Indeed, as he tried to speak afterward, Guzman worked hard to keep his voice from cracking. A couple of times, he said, “That’s part of baseball,” but there was clear anguish in his welling eyes.

For seven innings, Richard and Jaime Garcia waged a left-handed pitching duel, the latter holding a 2-1 lead when both exited. Rookie manager Mike Matheny showed there’s still some Tony LaRussa in the dugout, using three relief pitchers to quell a Padres rally in the eighth, only to have Guzman drive a double to the wall in left to score Chris Denorfia and Yonder Alonso for the lead.

Richard had been spotted the initial lead in the second. Alonso singled and went to second on a balk call against Garcia, advanced again on Guzman’s groundout and scored on Nick Hundley’s sacrifice fly to center.

Richard had not allowed a runner past second until the seventh, pitching well enough that when the Cardinals walked Andy Parrino intentionally to load the bases in the top of that inning, manager Bud Black had Richard bat with two outs.