Albies, Rosario's late-game heroics lead to walk-off win in Game 1

ATLANTA -- The Braves and Cardinals went back and forth as they split Saturday’s doubleheader at Truist Park.

In Game 1, the Braves tallied just two hits over the first 6 2/3 innings and Atlanta was in danger of being held scoreless for the third time in five games.

Eddie Rosario and Ozzie Albies had other ideas. Rosario hit a game-tying, two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Albies’ walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th helped Atlanta to a 3-2 win.

In Game 2, the Braves attempted to mount a four-run comeback, but St. Louis roughed up Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder with six runs on eight hits and one walk over five innings en route to a 9-5 Atlanta loss that evened the series.

Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson got the nod for Game 1 and gave Atlanta hitters fits through his first six innings of his outing. He allowed just two hits and kept the Braves off the board in the first six frames.

With two down in the bottom of the seventh, Travis d’Arnaud singled and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol elected to pull Gibson and bring on Ryan Fernandez to face Rosario in relief. Rosario greeted Fernandez with a Statcast-projected 360-foot home run into the Chop House in right field.

“I feel blessed,” Rosario said. “I want to say thank you to Braves Country. I love it when they say my name and I just feel great.”

It was Rosario’s eighth home run of the year in his first game in Atlanta since returning to the Braves after Atlanta selected his contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on July 8. It was also Rosario’s first regular-season game at Truist Park as a member of the Braves since Oct. 1, 2023.

“He’s had a couple of big [hits],” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s got no pulse, that’s for sure. The situation isn’t going to bother him. He’s an aggressive guy.”

Fernandez had given up two home runs ahead of Saturday’s game, and both were against left-handed hitters. Rosario was the latest lefty to victimize the rookie.

“Fernandez, if you look him up, has been one of the best in the league at coming in [with traffic on] and stranding runners,” Marmol said. “[Gibson] is at his max, Rosario does not walk [much], and for him to draw a walk against [Gibson in the fifth inning] means he’s seeing it well. So, giving [Gibson] a chance there against Rosario, you can, but our bullpen has been our strength. Going to Fernandez, we’ve done it quite a bit, and he’s done a really nice job, but it didn’t work out today.”

Gibson went 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits and two walks and struck out six.

“We were having a hard time getting a hold of him, that’s for sure,” Snitker said.

After Pierce Johnson pitched a scoreless 10th, Adam Duvall -- the Braves’ placed runner in the bottom of the 10th -- moved to third on a Zack Short sacrifice bunt. Jarred Kelenic walked, stole second base, and Albies drove in Duvall with a sacrifice fly to center.

On the mound for the Braves, Charlie Morton earned a no-decision after allowing one run on six hits and one walk over six innings with four strikeouts.

In Game 2, the Cardinals made plenty of hard contact against Elder. Masyn Winn led off the game with a triple and was driven in by an Alec Burleston sacrifice fly. The Cardinals added four runs on five five hits in the top of the second, including a Nolan Gorman two-run home run, which helped St. Louis to a 5-1 lead.

After Elder bounced back by retiring 10 in a row, a Brendan Donovan solo home run in the top of the fifth made the score 6-2. The Braves didn’t go quietly.

Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Eddie Rosario each hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, making it a one-run game, 6-5.

“[Elder] got on that little run there after the second inning,” Snitker said. “He was eating up a lot of pitches. We came back, and I kinda felt like we were in a really good spot there.”

The rally was short-lived, though. Riley hit a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning and represented the tying run at second. Matt Olson struck out and Ozuna grounded out to end the threat.

St. Louis tallied three insurance runs in the top of the ninth.