Braves 6, Cardinals 5
Ryan Doumit scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning as visiting Atlanta rallied to salvage the final game of its weekend series.
Jordan Schafer drew a bases-loaded walk from St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal (0-2) on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game and Doumit came home on Carlos Martinez’s wild pitch to give the Braves just their sixth victory in 16 games this month. David Carpenter (3-0) earned the victory, Freddie Freeman finished with three hits - ncluding a homer - and three RBIs and Craig Kimbrel notched his 11th save.
The Cardinals wasted Jaime Garcia’s seven-inning performance in his first start in a year. Kolten Wong doubled home three runs, Yadier Molina finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and Matt Carpenter had two hits and walked three times, but Rosenthal – gunning for his fourth save in as many days – surrendered two runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.
Justin Upton hit a solo homer in the fourth and Freeman’s two-run double in the sixth tied the game at 4-4, but Schafer lost Jhonny Peralta’s fly ball in the sun in the seventh, allowing Molina to score and put St. Louis ahead 5-4. Freeman led off the ninth with a single, Pinch hitter Doumit doubled with two outs and, after Rosenthal intentionally walked pinch hitter Evan Gattis, Schafer took a 3-2 pitch that just missed the corner and Doumit raced home when Martinez’s third pitch skated by Molina.
Freeman hit a solo homer in the first, but Wong lined a bases-clearing double in the second after Atlanta catcher Gerald Laird’s passed ball on strike three to Peter Bourjos extended the inning. Kimbrel allowed a single by Matt Adams in the ninth but struck out Bourjos to end the game.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Atlanta starter Gavin Floyd allowed four runs – one earned – on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. … Garcia, who had not pitched since May 17, 2013, due to surgery for a torn labrum and rotator cuff, gave up four runs on five hits with five strikeouts. … Peralta has reached base via hit or walk in 20 of his last 21 games.