ST. LOUIS — Game Report: Cardinals 11, Braves 6
There were plenty of big hits for the Cardinals in the win over the Braves on Monday night but two of the biggest plays of the game came when Atlanta was batting.
The Cardinals were clinging to a 6-5 lead when Dakota Hudson, after allowing three consecutive hits, got an inning-ending strikeout to strand runners in second and third in the seventh.
Then in the eighth, with the Cardinals leading 9-6 thanks to a three-run homer from Harrison Bader, Carlos Martinez was on the ropes as he faced Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded when he came through with another inning-ending strikeout.
Bader’s homer was one of four hit by the Cardinals as they picked up the win they needed to remain in the second wild-card spot with 11 games to play.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The other homers by the Cardinals were a solo shot by Kolten Wong in the fourth, a two-run blast by Paul DeJong in the fifth and another two-run homer from Yadier Molina in the ninth … Wong also doubled in two runs in the three-run first, when the first run scored when Molina was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded … The homers from Molina and DeJong were their 18th of the season while Bader, who came into the game as a defensive replacement, now has 11 and Wong 9 … The Cardinals also had five doubles in the game and did not have a single until Wong hit one with one out in the ninth.
On the mound: Miles Mikolas improved to 16-4 but only pitched five innings after throwing 97 pitches, allowing a two-run homer to Freeman in the third … Mikolas is now 9-0 on the road this season … Tyler Wrbb also allowed two runs, both of whom scored after Hudson entered the game, both unearned because of two errors by Yairo Munoz in center field … After Hudson got out of the sixth and allowed one run in the seventh, Martinez had to throw 32 pitches to get the three outs in the eighth, allowing an RBI single and three walks before getting thr strikeout of Freeman … john Brebbia pitched the ninth, recording three strikeouts after a leadoff walk.
Key stat It was the third time in the last two years the Cardinals had at least nine extra base hits. It was one off their season high of 10 (five homers, five doubles) hit on July 20 in Chicago, the day Matt Carpenter hit three homers and two doubles in their 18-5 win.
Worth noting: The four homers equaled the most the Cardinals have ever hit in a game in Atlanta. They last did it on April 8, 2016 … Their nine extra base hits also equaled the most they have ever had in a game in Atlanta, with the only other time coming on July 27, 1966 (four doubles, three triples and two home runs) … Bud Norris was not available Monday night as he receives treatment for a blister on a finger on his right hand which forced him out of Sunday night’s game … Kevin Herget will get the start for Memphis on Tuesday night against Durham in the Triple A Championship game. Durham, which won the International League title, is the top farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays and is led by Keon Wong, Kolten’s younger brother. The game will be played in Columbus, Ohio and televised by the NBC Sports Network beginning at 6:05 p.m. Central time.
Looking ahead: Austin Gomber will get the start on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.