ST. LOUIS — Jurickson Profar’s RBI groundout to second in the ninth Saturday gave the Braves a 7-6 win over the Cardinals, the team’s second one-run victory in as many days.
The Braves got a leadoff single from Nacho Alvarez Jr., who joined the club Friday night ahead of Saturday’s game, and then a one-out single from pinch hitter Drake Baldwin to the plate against Cardinals closer Ryan Helsey (3-1). Profar pulled an 0-2 pitch into the hole between second and first allowing Alvarez to cross with the game-winner.
“I’m running off adrenaline right now for sure,” said Alvarez who was playing for Triple-A Gwinnett in Indianapolis on Friday. “I’m just trying to go out there and compete and start a rally for the boys and luckily it was on our side today.”
Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth and picked up his 11th save of the season.
The Braves (42-52) improved to 13-23 in one-run games and 6-8 in games tied after eight innings.
Sean Murphy’s three-run homer run, one that followed the towering arc of the Gateway Arch behind Busch Stadium in center field, had given Atlanta a 6-5 lead in the eighth.
It was Murphy’s third homer of the series after he had hit two in Friday’s 6-5 victory. This one came on Phil Maton’s 2-2 cutter that Murphy tomahawked out to left, launching the ball at a 40-degree angle and needing all 372 feet to clear the left field wall for his 16th blast of the season.
The Braves had gotten a leadoff double from Profar and a one-out walk by Ronald Acuña Jr. in the eighth to set the table for Murphy.
But Daysbel Hernandez (4-1) couldn’t hold the lead, loading the bases on three walks in the bottom of the eighth and letting the Cardinals tie the game on a two-strike wild pitch.
The Braves responded in the ninth to win the series. The finale is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Sunday.
“Everyone’s happy. We’re trying to win. No one’s quit,” Murphy said. “We’re gonna keep going out there every night trying to win.”
Batting third for the first time in his career, Acuna hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 12th of the season on a towering shot that dropped into the Braves bullpen and drew the ire of the home fans as Acuna rounded the bases. It was Acuna’s third career homer off St. Louis starter Erick Fedde.
Marcell Ozuna started the second with a solo shot to left, also his third career jack off Fedde. Ozuna’s 12th homer of the season went 422 feet.
After a perfectly executed hit-and-run through the right side by Alvarez, Michael Harris II plated Ozzie Albies with a groundout to first making it 3-0.
The Cardinals (50-46) came right back with a three-spot in the second off Braves starter Aaron Bummer, getting an RBI single by Thomas Saggesse and two-run blast to right from Nolan Gorman. Gorman’s ninth homer of the season came on Bummer’s first-pitch sinker.
Joey Wentz, activated ahead of Saturday’s game after being claimed off waivers from the Twins on Friday, struck out two in a 1-2-3 third, fanned two more in a 1-2-3 fourth and two more in the fifth.
Wentz’s six strikeouts were his most in a game since fanning nine in a start for the Tigers on June 17, 2023.
“I thought I executed most of my pitches pretty well,” Wentz said. “I thought we threw the fastball pretty good and my cutter was pretty good. Felt confident in everything and fortunate to have a good outing.”
Rafael Montero came on in the sixth and gave up a two-out solo homer to catcher Yohel Pozo on a 1-0 fastball, a swing that put the Cardinals ahead for the first time on the day. Dylan Lee allowed a two-out RBI single to Brendan Donovan in the seventh making it 5-3.
Fedde was pulled with two outs in the fourth after surrendering three earned runs on six hits and throwing 64 pitches.
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