The game looked settled after one inning. It was anything but. Atlanta built a 5-3 lead in the first and held it for five quiet innings, but St. Louis tore it apart in the seventh, scoring seven times to turn a two-run deficit into a commanding advantage that the Braves never threatened. The Cardinals won 11-5, handing Atlanta its third straight loss.
Jordan Walker was the catalyst from the opening pitch. In the first inning, he homered to left center — 396 feet — with JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera aboard, giving St. Louis a 3-0 lead before Atlanta had batted. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored, pushing his season totals to 19 home runs and 63 RBI with a .288 average. Nathan Church added a two-run homer to right center in the seventh, tying the game at 5-5 and igniting the decisive rally. Alec Burleson capped the night with a solo shot in the ninth, his 14th of the season.
The seventh inning was the story. Church's homer tied it, and Wetherholt's single to center brought Torres home to give St. Louis the lead for good — the go-ahead run at 6-5. Herrera then singled to center, scoring Fermín. Walker singled to left, scoring Wetherholt. Lars Nootbaar doubled to right, scoring Burleson. Winn grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Walker — a call that survived an Atlanta challenge. Seven runs, a 10-5 lead, and a game that was no longer in doubt.
Atlanta's bullpen absorbed the damage. Hurston Waldrep worked 5.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 4 strikeouts, carrying a 3.68 ERA. Tyler Kinley took the loss — his third of the season — surrendering 3 runs in 0.2 innings. The Braves had taken the lead in the first on Dominic Smith's two-run double, which scored Albies, Dubón, and Olson to make it 4-3, and Mike Yastrzemski's sacrifice fly extended it to 5-3. But Atlanta managed nothing after that first inning. Gordon Graceffo, who threw a scoreless inning for St. Louis, picked up the win to improve to 6-1 with a 3.35 ERA.
St. Louis extended its winning streak to two games and improved to 44-38. Atlanta fell to 49-34, still atop its division but now losers of three straight. Ozzie Albies, who went 0-for-4 with a walk, is one stolen base away from 100 for his career.