ATLANTA — Adam Wainwright’s final career start in his native Georgia on Thursday night was similar to a lot of his starts this season, unfortunately ending with another loss.
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit Wainwright’s first pitch of the night for a home run and the Braves added three more homers over his 5 2/3 innings to get the win over the Cardinals in the final game of the series.
The four home runs allowed by Wainwright equaled the most he has allowed in a game in his career.
The loss extended Wainwright’s winless streak to 11 consecutive starts. He is 0-10 since his last win on July 17 and remained stuck on 198 career victories.
Here is how Thursday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Tommy Edman got the start in the leadoff spot and drove in three runs. He capped a three-run second inning that tied the game with a two-run, bases-loaded single, and then added a sacrifice fly in the ninth … The Cardinals’ other RBIs came when Andrew Knizner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second, and on a bases-loaded single by Masyn Winn in the ninth … The Cardinals did not have a hit between Paul Goldschmidt’s single in the fifth and a one-out double by Nolan Gorman in the ninth … Nolan Arenado’s streak without an RBI reached 11 games, the longest streak of his career. He is 6-of-44 in his last 11 games with only one extra-base hit, a double.
On the mound: The Braves added two more first-inning runs off Wainwright after Acuna’s home run but after that inning Wainwright did not allow another hit until Matt Olson homered with two outs in the fifth, following back-to-back great catches by Edman at the center field wall. The other home runs off Wainwright came from Michael Harris Jr., leading off the sixth, and Acuna’s second of the night with two outs in the inning that ended Wainwright’s night … The Braves added a fifth homer in the seventh, a two-run shot by Travis d’Arnaud off Jacob Barnes .
Key stat: The five home runs by the Braves were the most they have hit in a game against the Cardinals since July 18, 2006 at Busch Stadium. The last time they hit five in a game in Atlanta was in 1993.
Worth noting: The only other time Wainwright allowed four homers in a game was on Sept. 28, 2019 against the Cubs … This was the second time this season he allowed a home run on his first pitch of the game, the other against the Mets’ Brandon Nimmo on June 17 … Hitting coach Turner Ward was ejected by home plate umpire Laz Diaz in the sixth inning.
Looking ahead: The road trip will continue on Friday night with the first of three games against the Reds in Cincinnati. Drew Rom is the scheduled starter. The game will be televised exclusively on Apple TV.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
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