Sean Murphy hit a three-run home run and Jurickson Profar brought home the game-winning run with a ground ball in the ninth inning as the visiting Atlanta Braves edged the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday afternoon.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna also hit home runs for the Braves, who won for the third time in four games. Profar had a double, scored a run, in addition to his go-ahead grounder.
The Braves constructed a bullpen start, with Aaron Bummer serving as the opener and allowing three runs on four hits in two innings. Daysbel Hernandez (4-1) earned the win as the fifth of six Atlanta pitchers, while Raisel Iglesias earned his 11th save.
Nolan Gorman hit a two-run homer and scored twice for Cardinals, who lost for the third time in four games. Yohel Pozo had a home run, a double and two runs scored, while Brendan Donovan was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one. Ryan Helsley (3-1) gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth.
Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited the game after five innings with left side discomfort.
Acuna put the Braves up 1-0 with his first-inning homer, his 12th.
Atlanta increased its lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Ozuna led off with a home run before Ozzie Albies singled, went to third on Nacho Alvarez’s single and scored on a grounder from Michael Harris II.
The Cardinals tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the inning. Pozo doubled, Thomas Saggese had an RBI single and Gorman hit his homer.
Pozo’s sixth-inning homer, his fourth put the Cardinals up 4-3.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 5-3 in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Donovan.
Atlanta surged ahead 6-5 in the eighth inning on Murphy’s three-run shot, his 16th.
The Cardinals tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the inning on three walks and a wild pitch. But the Braves regained the lead 7-6 in the ninth inning on singles by Alvarez and Drake Baldwin and Profar’s deciding ground ball.