The Atlanta Braves are slumping worse than the Cardinals. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Georgia native Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals turned on the heat for an 11-4 thumping Thursday night at Turner Field.
The Cardinals went yard four times in the game, including two from Colby Rasmus, a Columbus, GA. native, as well as Skip Schumaker and Albert Pujols who hit his 37th. Rasmus went 4 for 4 with four RBIs, career bests for him. Schumaker’s homer came in a five run second inning when he hit a two out, two run homer off Braves starter Jair Jurrens. Pujols put the clamps down on Jurrens with his home run in the fourth. Jurrens gave up seven runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings.
It didn’t start well for Wainwright who was trying for his 19th win for the fifth time. The Cardinals committed two throwing errors on one play, rookie Jason Heyward had a run-scoring single and Derrek Lee, the former Cub homered for the first time with the Braves, hitting a two run opposite field homer. After that Wainwright settled down, going the next seven innings allowing just two singles that were wiped out by double play balls.
The Cardinals got the lead in the Central down to five after Cincinnati lost again to Colorado.
