Braves 4, Cardinals 0
ATLANTA -- Julio Teheran finished up his season pitching like the Atlanta Braves hoped he would have all year.
Teheran, who made the All-Star Game in 2014, allowed five hits over six scoreless innings in his last start of the year and the Braves blanked the National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 on Friday night at a wet Turner Field.
Rookie second baseman Daniel Castro homered off Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia and finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Teheran (11-8) had a 1.91 ERA in September and finished with 10 quality starts in his last 12 outings while going 5-2 with a 3.10 ERA.
The 24-year-old right-hander from Colombia finished with a 4.04 ERA and had 171 strikeouts in 200 2/3 innings
Teheran, who worked out of bases-loaded jam with no outs in the fifth inning, struck out six and walked one before leaving after 97 pitches.
St. Louis (100-60) is assured of the best record in the National League and is using the final regular-season series against the Braves (65-95) as a tune-up for the postseason.
Right-hander Adam Wainwright, who came off the disabled list Wednesday, worked a scoreless sixth inning for the Cardinals in his second relief appearance, with the only Atlanta runner coming on an error.
Wainwright suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a start in late April and had been expected to miss the rest of the season. He is also scheduled to pitch an inning Sunday against the Braves and pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason.
Cardinals starter Garcia, trying to stay sharp for the National League Division Series, worked just four innings and finished the regular season 10-6 with a 2.43 ERA.
The left-hander, who had been 7-1 with a 2.64 ERA since Aug. 1, allowed six hits and two runs. He walked two and struck out five while throwing 72 pitches.
The Braves scored their final two runs in the eighth, with Castro delivering an RBI double and right fielder Nick Markakis producing a run-scoring single.
Castro picked on an inside 0-1 two-seam fastball from Garcia with one out in the third inning, lining his second homer of the season into the left-field seats.
Markakis and third baseman Adonis Garcia followed with singles, and catcher A.J. Pierzynski made it 2-0 with an RBI double.
NOTES: The Cardinals rested four regulars -- RF Jason Heyward, 3B Matt Carpenter, SS Jhonny Peralta and 2B Kolten Wong. ... The series marks the return of Atlanta resident Heyward, who was traded by the Braves last winter after spending five seasons with his hometown team. ... RHP John Lackey (13-9, 2.69 ERA) will start for St. Louis in the middle game of the series Saturday against former Cardinals RHP Shelby Miller (5-17, 3.15 ERA). ... Miller, acquired by the Braves for Heyward, has lost 16 straight decisions and gone 24 starts without a victory. ... Braves C Christian Bethancourt isn't expected to play in the series after aggravating his left thumb injury Thursday against Washington. ... LHP Paco Rodriguez, acquired by the Braves from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13-player trade before the July deadline, will likely miss all of next season after needing Tommy John surgery. The reliever was already on the 60-day disabled list following arthroscopic surgery while with the Dodgers.