Austin Riley hit a two-run homer as the visiting Atlanta Braves scored six runs in the eighth inning to rally past the St. Louis Cardinals 8-4 Thursday night and complete a three-game sweep.
The Braves cleared .500 for the first time this season and moved within 1 1/2 games of the first-place New York Mets in the National League East.
Atlanta finished the season 6-1 against the Cardinals and improved to 20-11 against the National League Central.
Braves starting pitcher Touki Toussaint allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Edgar Santana (1-0), the third Atlanta pitcher, earned the victory.
Cardinals starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings. He retired the last eight batters he faced.
But the Braves went off in the eighth against relievers Giovanny Gallegos, Alex Reyes and Justin Miller. Gallegos (5-5) took the loss.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when LeBlanc walked Ozzie Albies and Jorge Soler before allowing Freddie Freeman’s RBI single.
The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in their half of the inning. Andrew Knizner hit a leadoff homer, Dylan Carlson was hit by a pitch, Paul Goldschmidt singled and Nolan Arenado plated Carlson with a single.
Joc Pederson’s fourth-inning homer tied the game, then the Cardinals moved ahead 3-2 in the sixth inning. Tyler O’Neal hit a single, took second on Matt Carpenter’s single, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a passed ball.
Tommy Edman hit a double and scored on Goldschmidt’s single to put the Cardinals up 4-2 in the seventh.
But Braves rallied for an 8-4 lead in the eighth inning. Freeman started the comeback with a two-out single and Riley followed with his two-run homer.
Dansby Swanson’s double chased Gallegos, then Reyes hit Adam Duvall with a pitch and walked Pederson, Ehire Adrianza, Stephen Vogt and Albies to force in three runs. Miller walked Soler to force home the inning’s sixth run.
–Field Level Media