By MATT PIKE
Jordan Walker drove in four runs and Nathan Church hit a game tying home run to start a seven run seventh inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves 11-5 at Truist Park for a series win.
The Braves led 5-3, all coming in the first inning, before the Cardinals rallied in the seventh. Walker started the scoring for St. Louis in the opening inning with a three run home run, driving in JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera, before Atlanta answered with five runs in the bottom half of the frame.
The Braves got an RBI single from Mauricio Dubón, scoring Drake Baldwin, before a bases clearing double by Dominic Smith brought home Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, and Dubón, to give Atlanta a 4-3 lead. A sacrifice fly from Mike Yastrzemski drove in Smith for the final run of the inning, and what would be the final run of the game for the Braves.
After Church's game tying two run home run off Tyler Kinley, which brought home Masyn Winn, Wetherholt's run-scoring single off Dylan Lee gave St. Louis a 6-5 lead A single from Herrera extended the lead as the Cardinals poured on the runs in the inning, bringing home José Fermín.
An RBI single from Walker drove in his fourth run of the game during the big inning, scoring Wetherholt, and an RBI double by Lars Nootbaar brought home Alec Burleson to push the Cardinals lead to 9-5. Walker scored on an infield single from Winn, swimming around the catcher's tag for the run to score the final run of the seven run frame, Winn reaching first on the fielders choice.
Burleson added the final run of the night with a solo home run in the ninth inning. Burleson was 1-for-5 on the day, his lone hit the home run, driving in the one run, but scoring two. Gordon Graceffo improved to 6-1 on the season out of the bullpen after pitching a scoreless sixth inning.
Cardinals starter Dustin May allowed five runs on five hits, getting ust two outs in the opening inning of the game, leaving two batters after Smith's liner that cleared the bases bounced off his right ankle and down the right-field line. It was later announced May suffered a contusion to his ankle.
Also at the plate, Winn was 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Walker was 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI's, while Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Next, St. Louis travels to begin a series with the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Andre Pallante (9-5, 3.83 ERA, 68K's) is set to start for the Cardinals against David Peterson (4-6, 5.86 ERA, 65K's) for the Cubs. First pitch is at 3:05pm, coverage begins at 2:55 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
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