The St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves split a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday, with the Cardinals taking the second game 4-1 behind a strong spot start from Matthew Liberatore.
Liberatore pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight, while Alec Burleson hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the third inning to lead the Cardinals to victory.
In the opener, Jarred Kelenic had three hits, including his eighth home run, and three RBI as the Braves won 6-2. Kelenic has been on a tear since moving to the leadoff spot in the batting order, hitting .362 with four homers and 10 RBI in his last 12 games.
Liberatore’s performance in the second game was a welcome sight for the Cardinals, who had been looking for a strong start from their pitching staff. The left-hander’s eight strikeouts set a career high, and his six innings pitched were his longest outing since last August.
The Cardinals’ offense was led by Burleson, who has driven in at least one run in each of his last five games. Paul Goldschmidt and Brendan Donovan added run-scoring singles in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to a National League-best 26-14 since May 12, and have won 10 of their last 14 games. Manager Oliver Marmol praised his team’s focus and determination, saying “These guys are locked in. They’re not giving away a whole lot.”