ATLANTA — Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan began the second half of the season on Saturday the same way they played for much of the first half.
The two each drove in three runs to lead the Cardinals to a 9-5 win over the Braves in the second game of the day-night doubleheader in Atlanta.
The win came after the Cardinals lost the day game 3-2 in 10 innings in their first game after the All-Star break.
Burleson had a sacrifice fly and drove in two more runs with singles on his three-hit night while Donovan homered and then added a two-run single in the ninth to pad a one-run lead.
Sonny Gray got the win despite allowing four home runs, three in the sixth inning, becoming the first Cardinals pitcher to win a game in which he allowed four home run since Chris Carpenter did it in 2004, breaking a string of 10 consecutive losses.
In the day game, the Braves got a two-run homer from Eddie Rosario in the seventh to tie the game and then won on a sacrifice fly in the 10th.
Here is how Saturday’s games broke down:
At the plate: Masyn Winn had a triple in each game and he also singled and scored when the Cardinals put together a four-run second inning in the night game … Nolan Gorman hit a two-run homer in the inning, his team-leading 18th of the season … Donovan’s homer came in the fifth … In the ninth, the Cardinals turned a 6-5 lead into the four-run margin thanks to a single by Michael Siani, the RBI single by Burleson, a single by Willson Contreras and the two-run single by Donovan … The Cardinals other run in the day game came on a home run from Nolan Arenado.
On the mound: Kyle Gibson allowed just one run on three hits as he pitched into the seventh inning in the day game, and that run scored after he had come out of the game. Rosario’s two-run homer on the second pitch from reliever Ryan Fernandez forced Gibson to settle for a no-decision … The Braves got the winning run in the 10th off Chris Roycroft … Gray escaped a home run in the first inning of the second game when an umpire’s review overturned a home run call, ruling it was a foul ball, but Gray still allowed the four homers, two by Marcell Ozuna, three of them in the sixth. All four were solo homers. He struck out 10 in seven innings … Kyle Leahy, called up from Memphis to be the 2tth man for the DH, worked the final two innings.
Key stat: Burleson has driven in at least one run in each of his last five games and in eight of his last nine, collecting a total of 15 RBIs in those nine games.
Worth noting: The Cardinals reportedly have reached an agreement with their top selection in last year’s draft, infielder J.J. Wetherholt from West Virginia. He is expected to take a physical and then officially sign his contract next week, then likely will begin his pro career at Class A Palm Beach … Riley O’Brien, who has been on the injured list since he was hurt on opening day, began a rehab assignment in Memphis on Saturday night and got the save despite allowing one hit and two walks in a scoreless inning.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Sunday in the final game of the series.