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Braves Snap Slide, Down Cards

POSTED: Saturday, August 23, 2008

(Sports Network) - Martin Prado had three hits with two RBI and two runs scored as the Atlanta Braves doubled up the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-4, in the second of three games from Busch Stadium.

Jeff Francoeur and Greg Norton each drove in a pair of runs while Brian McCann scored twice for the Braves, who snapped a season-high tying six-game losing streak. Jorge Campillo started on the mound and gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Buddy Carlyle (1-0) got the win for pitching two scoreless innings of relief.

Albert Pujols went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI while Felipe Lopez drove in the other run for the Cardinals, who have dropped three of five and are now 3 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card race. Kyle Lohse started on the hill and was charged with three runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Kyle McClellan (2-6) was handed the loss.

With the score tied in the eighth, the Braves grabbed the lead in the top of the frame with a pair of runs. McClellan started on the mound and gave up a leadoff double to Mark Kotsay, but he was thrown out at third on Prado's grounder. Kelly Johnson then worked a walk and Francoeur struck out for the second out of the inning. With Norton at the plate, both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch from McClellan and Norton then punched a two-run single to center for a 5-3 lead.

The Cardinals got a run back in the bottom of the eighth with Will Ohman on the mound. Pinch-hitter Joe Mather led off with a double and two batters later Lopez belted a double to right that brought home Mather to make it a 5-4 game.

The game went into a 49-minute weather delay with two outs in the top of the ninth and when the teams took the field again the Braves padded their lead.

McCann had hit a single before the delay and, with Russ Springer on the mound, Kotsay worked a walk and Prado beat out an infield single to load the bases. Johnson then worked a walk to bring home McCann and Francoeur followed with a two-run single for an 8-4 lead.

Mike Gonzalez, who got the final out of the eighth inning, stayed on the mound and worked the ninth to pick up his sixth save of the season.

The Braves got on the board in the third as Campillo led off with a single, moved to second on a sac bunt from Gregor Blanco and later came home on an opposite-field double from Chipper Jones for a 1-0 lead.

However, St. Louis took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Skip Schumaker led off with a walk and Ryan Ludwick then singled. Pujols brought both runners home with a double to left for a 2-1 lead.

Pujols led off the fifth inning with a shot over the center field wall for a 3-1 advantage.

Atlanta tied the game in the sixth. The team put its first three runners on base to start the inning and load the bases, but Kotsay then hit a grounder to first and St. Louis got the force out at home. However, Prado followed with a single to center that scored Jones and McCann to make it a 3-3 game.

Game Notes

Pujols has 27 home runs on the season...Despite the loss, St. Louis has won six of the last eight against Atlanta and leads the season series 4-2...Lohse was sentenced to a five-game suspension on Wednesday after it was deemed that he "intentionally (threw) a pitch in the head area of Edinson Volquez" during his six-inning stint in a 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He is appealing the suspension...Attendance was 44,074...Before the game, Atlanta activated pitcher Manny Acosta off the 15-day disabled list and optioned pitcher Matt DeSalvo to Triple-A Richmond.

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