Spencer Strider pitched six strong innings and William Contreras hit a three-run double as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4 on Friday night.
Atlanta has won four straight, seven of eight and 15 of its last 17 games. The defending World Series champions remained two games behind the NL East-leading New York Mets, who beat Colorado.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said his team is finding different ways to win, and scoring 11 runs without a homer was yet another.
St. Louis has lost three of five but still holds a six-game lead in the NL Central over Milwaukee, which lost at home to the Chicago Cubs.
Strider (8-4) scattered six hits and struck out seven – including his first five outs. The rookie allowed one run and issued one walk.
He wanted to go deeper in the game and wasn’t thrilled with his performance. But in the end, Strider knew he did his job.
St. Louis has lost three of five but still holds a six-game lead in the NL Central over Milwaukee, which lost at home to the Chicago Cubs.
Strider (8-4) scattered six hits and struck out seven – including his first five outs. The rookie allowed one run and issued one walk.
He wanted to go deeper in the game and wasn’t thrilled with his performance. But in the end, Strider knew he did his job.
A Cardinals error helped the Braves score their first two runs in the fourth inning. Second baseman Nolan Gorman fielded Olson’s grounder cleanly but threw wide of second base trying to start a double play. The ball settled in foul territory in left field, allowing Dansby Swanson to score from first and Olson to reach second. A single by d’Arnaud scored Olson.
Tyler O’Neill hit his ninth homer of the year in the ninth, a two-run shot, to pull the Cardinals to 11-3. St. Louis got another run after Brendan Donovan’s liner ricocheted off reliever Jackson Stephens’ head. Stephens never went down and left the field under his own power after being checked by the Atlanta training staff.
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Cardinals: LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-3, 3.08) threw his first career shutout in his last outing, a 1-0 win at the Chicago Cubs. Since arriving from the New York Yankees in a trade for OF Harrison Bader on Aug. 2, Montgomery is 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA.