Julio Teheran, Johan Camargo lead Braves over Cardinals

The Atlanta Braves got their road trip off on a good note with a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The game began as a pitching duel between Julio Teheran and St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas.

Julio Teheran got off to a shaky start when he walked the first two men he faced in the first inning. However, he pitched out of that jam and was in complete control the rest of the night allowing just two hits over six innings while striking out four.

Mikolas matched him pitch for pitch until the seventh when the Braves finally got something going. After a groundout by Ronald Acuña, Johan Camargo and Dansby Swanson hit back-to-back singles to put men at first and second. Danny Santana pinch hit for Teheran and roped a single of his own to center to load the bases.

That would be the end of the night for Mikolas who was replaced by Austin Gomber. Gomber wouldn’t be around long as his first pitch bounced off the top of Ender Inciarte’s helmet forcing in Camargo to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Atlanta would add some much-needed insurance in the eighth against Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks. Nick Markakis worked a lead off walk and then moved up to second after Kurt Suzuki was hit by a pitch. Acuña struck out but Camargo jumped on a hanging breaking ball and drove it into the left centerfield alley for a two-run double to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead.

Mike Matheny then turned to Greg Holland who allowed an opposite field single to Swanson that scored Camargo to increase the lead to 4-0. The Braves added another insurance run in the ninth when Ozzie Albies reached on an infield single and then came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Nick Markakis.

A.J. Minter worked a perfect eighth but Luke Jackson ran into trouble in the ninth. After retiring Jose Martinez to lead off the inning, Jackson surrendered back-to-back hits to Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina and a walk to Tommy Pham to load the bases. Brian Snitker then turned to Dan Winkler who came on to get the final two outs to seal the win.

Camargo and Swanson finished with three hits each and drove in three of Atlanta’s four runs. Tyler Flowers went 1-for-3 at the plate before leaving the game with what appeared to be a cramp in his leg. Albies extended his hitting streak to nine-straight games with his infield single in the ninth. Acuña went 0-for-4 with a walk in his return from the disabled list.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday with Max Fried expected to get the start for Atlanta against Cardinals’ right hander Luke Weaver.