ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brendan Donovan had three hits with an RBI and Lance Lynn pitched into the seventh inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Monday night for their fourth straight win and ninth in 12 games.
St. Louis is 25-13 after a 15-24 start, moving three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season.
Atlanta had won eight of its previous 10 games.
Alec Burleson doubled and singled and is hitting .643 (9 for 14) in his last four games After missing Sunday’s game because of a rib injury, Michael Siani added two singles.
Big league saves leader Ryan Helsley remained perfect in 27 chances but struggled. He entered with a 4-1 lead, but allowed Atlanta to load the bases with one out on walks by Marcell Ozuna and Sean Murphy around Matt Olson’s single.
Ramón Laureano hit a run-scoring single and Travis d’Arnaud followed with a sacrifice fly before Zack Short struck out.
Lynn (3-3) allowed four hits in 6 2/3 innings, including Riley’s home run in the fifth. It was his longest outing since April 16.
Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (1-3), making his fifth big league appearance, gave up four runs —- all in the third — and eight hits in five innings with six strikeouts and no walks.
Burleson hit a two-out RBI double and scored on Willson Contreras’ single, Donovan had an RBI single and the Cardinals pulled off a double steal in which Donovan stopped before second and got caught in a rundown as Nolan Gorman came home before Donovan was tagged.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: SS Orlando Arcia left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning complaining of dizziness. Zach Short took over his position. … LHP Ray Kerr (left elbow UCL injury) was placed on the 15-day IL, effective to June 16 and voided his option to Triple-A Gwinnett on June 15. He will need Tommy John surgery.
Cardinals: Conteras (fractured left arm) was activated from the 10-day IL and went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. He was injured May 7 when he was hit by the Mets’ J.D. Martinez swinging at a pitch. C Nick Raposo was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. … RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was activated from the IL and optioned to Memphis. … Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado (left forearm nerve irritation) remained sidelined. Arenado has received an injection in the nerve.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Reynaldo López (5-2, 1.57) has won four straight starts going into Tuesday’s outing against RHP Kyle Gibson (5-2, 3.44).
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