• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Wainwright shines as Cardinals beat Braves

May 8, 2014 - 3:00 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Holliday had three hits and drove in three runs as the St. Louis Cardinals grabbed a 7-1 win over the Atlanta Braves in the rubber match of a three-game set at Turner Field.

Peter Bourjos went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored for the Cardinals, who have won three of four.

Adam Wainwright (6-2) pitched eight innings and gave up just one run on six hits and six strikeouts. He also was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored.

"It's never easy pitching against a team like that," said Wainwright. "I had some big jams early on and it ended up being the key to our win today. We had good offense against a tough pitcher today."

Freddie Freeman drove in the lone run of the game for the Braves, who have lost eight of their last nine games. Mike Minor (0-2) was belted for six runs on 11 hits over 4 1/3 innings.

"We're not playing good baseball right now," said Atlanta third baseman Chris Johnson. "We want to turn that around. A lot of baseball left, so I think we'll be all right."

St. Louis scored the first run of the game in the second on Bourjos' solo home run, his first of the season.

The Cardinals pushed a run across in the third when Yadier Molina grounded into a double play, scoring Wainwright, but the Braves got it back in the home half on back-to-back doubles from Justin Upton and Freeman.

St. Louis tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning. Bourjos singled with one out and Wainwright kept the inning alive with a two-out single. Matt Carpenter pushed one run across with a basehit to left and, after Molina walked to load the bases, Holliday hit a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.

In the fifth, the Cardinals added a run as Jhonny Peralta doubled to start, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Bourjos single for a 6-1 game.

Holliday added an RBI single in the ninth.

Game Notes

The Braves are 7-15 when their opponent scores the first run, and are 11-0 when they score the first run ... St. Louis starts a three-game set in Pittsburgh on Friday ... Atlanta welcome the Cubs for three games beginning on Friday.