Braves Edge Cardinals 7-6 with Late Surge for Fourth Straight Win
In a thrilling contest, the Atlanta Braves secured a 7-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night, marking their fourth consecutive win. The game, played at the home of the Braves, witnessed a dramatic turnaround supported by Sean Murphy’s significant contribution—a critical three-run homer during a dynamic eighth inning for Atlanta.
The Braves’ offense was further boosted by Austin Riley, who delivered a two-run homer. Michael Harris II also contributed with two hits and an RBI, helping to solidify the team’s performance. Daysbel Hernández earned the win by effectively handling his pitching responsibilities and securing three decisive outs.
The Cardinals’ ongoing struggles deepened as they faced their fifth consecutive defeat, reducing their road record to a troubling 1-10. Despite staging a valiant rally in the ninth inning that involved Victor Scott II driving in Pedro Pagés with a double, followed by a potent two-run homer from Willson Contreras, the effort fell short. With two outs, Brendan Donovan drew a walk, but the game concluded as Sean Murphy adeptly tagged out Nolan Arenado on a short tapper at home plate.
The decisive eighth inning saw the Braves gain momentum with Harris delivering a sacrifice fly to break the tie, followed by Murphy’s influential home run. Meanwhile, Cardinals reliever Phil Maton was held accountable for four runs in the inning, managing to secure just one out.
While St. Louis wasted a commendable performance from starter Erick Fedde—who delivered six innings and conceded only two runs—the Braves had Spencer Schwellenbach on the mound. Schwellenbach worked through seven innings, allowing three runs and eight hits, two of which were earned.
Tensions flared as Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was ejected in the eighth inning for disputing calls on balls and strikes.
A pivotal moment occurred during the eighth inning when a replay review overturned an initial out call against Riley, resulting in a single. This set the stage for a crucial run when Riley scored on Matt Olson’s single, leveling the score.
Notably, Riley has demonstrated strength against the Cardinals with an impressive record of seven homers in his last 12 matchups against them.
Looking ahead, Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante, with a 2-1 record and a 3.22 ERA, is set to pitch in the second game of the three-game series. The Braves are opting for a bullpen game in light of Spencer Strider’s placement on the 15-day injury list due to a hamstring strain.