A ninth-inning throwing error by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Gold Glove-winning shortstop Masyn Winn allowed the go-ahead run to score, helping lift the visiting Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Jojo Romero (1-3) threw the top of the ninth for the Cardinals, allowing Ozzie Albies’ one-out double. Matt Olson’s groundout advanced Albies to third. Romero then hit Michael Harris II with a pitch – a ruling that prompted the ejection of St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol for arguing. Maurcio Dubon followed with a grounder and Albies scored on Winn’s throwing error from shortstop.
After Eli White’s walk loaded the bases, Romero retired Austin Riley to end the frame.
Raisel Iglesias tossed a perfect ninth, posting his 19th save in 20 attempts for the Braves, who salvaged the weekend series after dropping the first two games.
Atlanta opener Danny Young allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning before JR Ritchie threw 4 1/3 innings of one-run, one-hit ball, walking two and striking out two. Tyler Kinley (5-3) earned the victory with a strikeout of Winn in the bottom of the eighth.
Dustin May lasted just four innings for the Cardinals, allowing two runs on two hits, striking out four and walking four. Jose Fermin drove in two runs for St. Louis, which has dropped six of its last nine games.
St. Louis struck first in the opening inning, as Jordan Walker worked a two-out walk and scored on Alec Burleson’s double to left. After Young walked Lars Nootbaar, Ritchie entered and struck out Winn to end the inning.
May walked Dominic Smith and Austin Riley to begin the second, before Jim Jarvis’ sacrifice bunt advanced both runners. After Brewer Hicklen struck out, May’s wild pitch tied the game at one apiece.
Riley was hit by a pitch in the fourth and Hicklen singled with two outs for his first hit as a Brave. Drake Baldwin then hit a run-scoring single to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Justin Bruihl threw a scoreless fifth in relief of May. In the sixth, Jarvis and Hicklen laced consecutive doubles to extend the lead to 3-1. Hicklen’s double was the first extra-base hit and RBI of his major league career.
Ritchie retired seven consecutive Cardinals before Walker’s leadoff single in the sixth. Dylan Dodd then entered for Atlanta, allowing Nootbaar’s walk and Winn’s single to load the bases.
Didier Fuentes relieved Dodd, striking out Bryan Torres before Fermin’s two-run single tied the game.
