Tuesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 10, Braves 6
By Rob Rains
It was a happy homecoming for Jordan Walker on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Playing his first major-league game in his hometown, just three years after graduating from high school, Walker hit one of four home runs for the Cardinals as they outslugged the Braves in the opener of a three-game series.
Walker’s home run, coming while his parents, grandmother and other family members and friends watched from the stands, was one of Walker’s three hits in the game. He also had a double and single and scored three runs.
Over his last seven games, Walker has gone 15-of-25 with four home runs and nine RBIs. He has homered in each of his last three games, increasing his season total to 15.
The beneficiary of the big night from the Cardinals’ offense was Miles Mikolas, who picked up his first victory in his last eight starts.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Tyler O’Neill hit the first homer of the night for the Cardinals, a two-run shot in the second. Nolan Gorman followed with another two-run blast in the third, his first of two homers in the game that increased his season total to 26. Walker’s homer came in the fourth, and Gorman capped the big night with his second home run in the ninth … Lars Nootbaar almost added a fifth homer but was robbed by a leaping catch from Michael Harris II … O’Neill joined Walker with a three-hit night.
On the mound: Mikolas allowed three home runs, but all were solo shots, as was another home run off Giovanny Gallegos … Mikolas had been 0-5 in his last eight starts dating back to July 17. He allowed eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, getting help with two great catches by Tommy Edman in center field … The Cardinals led 9-1 at one point and the Braves closed within 9-6 in the eighth before Andre Pallante was able to get out of the inning … Ryan Helsley made his second appearance since coming off the injured list in the ninth, striking out two and working around a one-out walk.
Key stat: Since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, this was only the second time in 12 games the Cardinals beat Atlanta in a game where they allowed four or more home runs, with the other win coming in 1998. Overall, the Cardinals had lost 35 of the last 39 games in which they allowed four or more home runs, dating back to 2009.
Worth noting: The Cardinals will be without JoJo Romero, who had received most of the closing assignments lately, for at least two weeks after he was placed on the injured list with tendonitis in his left knee … Matthew Liberatore was activated from the injured list and will work out of the bullpen for the time being … The Cardinals also recalled Jose Fermin from Memphis on Tuesday and designated Taylor Motter for assignment … Gorman came into the game with just two hits in his last 19 at-bats and had not homered since Aug. 4, when he also had a two-homer game against the Rockies … The Cardinals had been just 2-8 in the first game of a road trip this season and had lost their last four opening games in a road series dating back to July 24.
Looking ahead: Dakota Hudson will get the start on Wednesday night in the second game of the series.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
