The Atlanta Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday evening in the finale of a three-game set at Truist Park. That allowed Atlanta to snap a three-game losing skid and avoid being swept by St. Louis.
Ronald Acuna Jr. got the Braves on the board with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Eddie Rosario added a two-run single in that inning. The Cardinals tied the game at 3-3 with a trio of runs in the top of the second. The Braves took the lead once again with a solo home run by Matt Olson in the fifth, his MLB-best 47th homer of the year.
Michael Harris II had a home run to begin the bottom of the sixth. Acuna hit his second home run of the night in that inning.
Travis d’Arnaud clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. The Cardinals notched two more runs in the top of the ninth, but the Braves held on for the win, again, by a final score of 8-5.
Max Fried was credited with the win for Atlanta after surrendering three runs and six hits, walking two, and striking out four in six innings of work. Adam Wainwright was charged with the loss for St. Louis.
The National League East-leading Braves improved their MLB-best record to 91-48 for the 2023 regular season. They will welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to Atlanta for a three-game set over the weekend. The first pitch of tonight’s series opener is scheduled for 7:20 pm. Catch all the action on WLAQ 1410 AM or 96.9 FM; airtime is 6:05 pm from the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.