Cardinals at Braves
The St. Louis Cardinals finally found a way into the win column Friday and look to make it two in a row against the winless Atlanta Braves in the second game of a weekend set Saturday in Atlanta. The Cardinals, who came into the series 0-3, showed plenty of moxie in rallying from an early 4-0 deficit in Friday’s 7-4 victory, getting three pinch-hit homers – the first time ever a team has hit three pinch-hit homers in the same game – to earn their first victory of 2016.
And it was not the big names on the Cardinals roster who made the difference in the series-opening victory, as Jeremy Hazelbaker hit the game-tying homer in the seventh inning, and Aledmys Diaz slugged the go-ahead homer in the eighth before Greg Garcia added a pinch-hit blast in the ninth. The Braves are 0-3 and wasted a decent start from Matt Wisler in the series opener, Atlanta’s bullpen surrendering three runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. The Braves collected all five of their hits Friday in the third inning but mustered just three walks in the final six innings. Atlanta has held a lead in the seventh inning or later in each of its first three games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (2015: 14-7, 3.01 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (0-0, 3.00)
Martinez was one of the NL’s breakout pitchers last season, earning an All-Star berth in his first year in the rotation while finishing sixth in the league in winning percentage, seventh in wins and 10th in ERA. He beat Atlanta on July 25 in St. Louis, giving up six hits across eight shutout innings. Martinez was outstanding away from home in 2015, posting a 2.54 ERA while going 8-3 in 15 games (14 starts).
Teheran surrendered two solo homers but otherwise pitched effectively in the Braves’ season opener, allowing five hits with three walks and four strikeouts across six innings in his third consecutive opening day start. The 25-year-old posted a 2.01 ERA in 22 1/3 innings in spring training and has won 11 or more games each of the past three seasons. Teheran beat the Cardinals in his only appearance against them in 2015, pitching six scoreless innings Oct. 2 in Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte left after his first at-bat Friday with left hamstring tightness; he is day-to-day.
2. St. Louis matched its run output (seven) from its three-game sweep in Pittsburgh in Friday’s victory.
3. Hazelbaker, who played 751 minor-league games before making his major-league debut Sunday, is 3-for-6 with two homers, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs in four games.