Paul Goldschmidt hit one of four home runs for the Cardinals after being moved down in the batting order, helping St. Louis defeat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 on Sunday to secure the series win.
Cardinals designated hitter Alec Burleson contributed with a home run and two RBIs, continuing his impressive July performance with 21 RBIs in 16 games. He has now driven in runs in six consecutive games, just one shy of the Cardinals’ record.
Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras also hit solo homers for the Cardinals.
Miles Mikolas (8-8) pitched six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking one. St. Louis won the season series against Atlanta for the first time since 2017.
“I was able to locate my pitches better,” Mikolas said. “Our defense played well behind me. They hit some hard balls, but we were positioned well defensively.”
Seven-time All-Star Goldschmidt went 1 for 4 batting from the seventh spot in the lineup, a position he hadn’t occupied since 2012 with the Diamondbacks. He had been struggling with a .206 average against right-handed pitchers this season and his OPS was at a career low by 150 points.
“It’s always great to see him smiling,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. “He performs better when he’s relaxed. It was fun to watch him hit a home run today. Hopefully, he can build on that. He’s a very talented hitter.”
Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (3-5) suffered the loss, his second against the Cardinals this season. He allowed four runs on seven hits, including three solo home runs, while striking out eight batters.
Jarred Kelenic also hit a home run for the Braves.
Burleson’s home run came in the third inning and gave St. Louis a 2-0 lead. He turned on a 95-mph fastball and sent a 435-foot shot onto the roof of the Chop House restaurant in right field.
“I’ve been seeing fastballs throughout the series and I connected well with this one,” Burleson said. “I was looking for a fastball and got exactly that.”
