Braves 3, Cardinals 2
ST. LOUIS -- Adonis Garcia's first major league homer was a game-winner.
The Atlanta Braves third baseman led off the top of the sixth by going deep to snap a tie and lift his team to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Garcia, a 30-year old Cuban who had belted just three homers in 331 at-bats this year at Triple-A Gwinnett before being called up on Saturday, belted a 1-0 offering from Michael Wacha 386 feet into the St. Louis bullpen in right-center field.
It made a winner of rookie right-hander Matt Wisler (5-1), who scattered seven hits and allowed two runs over seven innings. Wisler walked three and fanned three.
Arodys Vizcaino worked a scoreless eighth, fanning catcher Tony Cruz with the tying run at second for the third out, and closer Jim Johnson picked up the last three outs for his ninth save.
Wacha (11-4) gave up five hits and three runs in six innings, issuing three walks and whiffing five.
Atlanta (46-52) scored twice in the second. Catcher Ryan Lavarnway's RBI double down the left-field line gave Atlanta its first lead of the series, and center fielder Cameron Maybin added a two-out, two-strike, run-scoring single to left.
St. Louis (63-35) got on the board in the fourth when rookie first baseman Stephen Piscotty singled home right fielder Jason Heyward. Originally called out at the plate, Heyward was ruled safe after a five-minute, eight-second replay review.
Left fielder Matt Holliday evened the score in the fifth, grounding an RBI double down the right-field line that scored second baseman Kolten Wong.
The Cardinals saw their five-game winning streak end and lost for just the 13th time in 49 home games. The Braves snapped their three-game losing streak.
NOTES: St. Louis 1B Mark Reynolds (hand) was available to play but didn't start Sunday and did not get into the game after getting hit by a 94-mph fastball by Atlanta's Shelby Miller in the third inning Saturday night. ... Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman (wrist) made his first start Sunday after being activated from the 15-day DL Saturday. Freeman flied out in the seventh inning Saturday night as a pinch hitter. ... Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia (groin) is penciled in to come off the 15-day DL and start Tuesday night against Cincinnati. RHP John Lackey will move back a night to Wednesday.