Cardinals top the Braves in first series back from the All-Star break
ATLANTA, Ga. (KMIZ)
The St. Louis Cardinals started off the second half of the 2024 season with a series win over the Atlanta Braves, on Sunday. STL took the rubber match 6-2 to improve to 52-47 overall.
Paul Goldschmidt, Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and Wilson Contreras each hit home runs in the road win. Burleson led the charge at the plate, though, as he had a homer and two RBI, which marks the sixth-straight game he's brought a run home. If he makes it to seven-straight games with an RBI, it will be a Cardinals record.
Miles Mikolas earned the win on the hill for skipper Oli Marmol. Mikolas gave up two runs on seven hits in his six innings of work. He struck out three Atlanta batters, as well.
St. Louis got the early lead, thanks to the pair of dingers off the bats of Goldschmidt and Burleson, but a solo home run from Atlanta's Jarred Kelenic made it a one-run game in the third inning. However, the red bird bats had no problem responding.
Nootbaar hit his solo home run in the fourth inning to make a two-run ball game and, just one inning later, Burleson added some cushion on the lead with an RBI single to right field.
With Sunday's win, St. Louis remains in second place in the National League Central standings. The birds on the bat are 5.0 games back from the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Up next - St. Louis will continue its road trip with a meeting in Pittsburgh on Monday. First pitch between the Pirates and the Cardinals is slated for 5:40 p.m. on Monday, July 22.
