KRAMERPirates INF Kevin Kramer made his major league

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ATLANTA (AP) — Cardinals manager Mike Shildt loved watching Yadier Molina grind out a big at-bat in the eighth inning.With the bases loaded and two outs in a two-run game Lance Parrish Jersey , Shildt got exactly what he wanted from Molina, a veteran star catcher who has helped St. Louis chase down plenty of playoff spots during his 15-year career.“He gets down 0-2, and you can just watch him bearing down,” Shildt said. “He got the count full and got a base hit to score two and took advantage of the (error) and we were able to clear the bases there.”Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Molina added a two-run single in the four-run eighth and St. Louis won its third straight game with an 8-1 victory over the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.Austin Gomber pitched five effective innings for St. Louis, which holds a slim lead for the second NL wild card. The Cardinals top the National League with 36 victories since All-Star break, and their 43 road wins this season rank second.Atlanta’s division lead dropped to 5½ games over Philadelphia as the Braves lost their fourth in a row after a season-best six-game winning streak. They are 38-38 at SunTrust Park and have dropped 14 of 18 at home.The Braves’ magic number remained at seven as they try to clinch a division title for the first time in five years. Philadelphia beat the New York Mets 5-2.Atlanta manager Brian Snitker can sense his team is pressing.“We’ve been down this road before a few times this year,” Snitker said. “All it takes is one game to get you rolling and get you back on the run. We’ve been resilient. We’ve come back before. There’s no reason to think we won’t do it again.”Anibal Sanchez (6-6) allowed four hits and two runs and struck out six in five innings. He faced the minimum through his first three innings and retired his first batter in the fourth before Jose Martinez singled and DeJong hit his 19th homer.DeJong, who is hitting .478 with four homers and 10 RBIs in five career games against Atlanta, added a run-scoring single in the eighth off Dan Winkler. DeJong’s homer was his 14th on the road.“I think he’s figuring out he’s a run producer,” Shildt said. “We’re seeing a good swing, and the timing is there.”Gomber (6-1) gave up six hits, one run and three walks. He struck out five for his fifth victory in his last six decisions, but it wasn’t easy for the rookie.After Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his 26th homer to begin the third, Gomber escaped a bases-loaded jam on Ender Inciarte’s lineout to end the inning. Gomber got Inciarte to fly out to strand a runner at third to end the fifth.Gomber felt a boost in confidence after his last start ended with a 9-7 loss to the Dodgers.“I threw a lot of pitches (9 in five innings,” he said. “It was one of those days with a lot of traffic on the bases, but you’ve got to figure a way to get out of it.”Molina’s single in the eighth off Sam Freeman scored three runs. Molina was credited with two RBIs, and a third run scored because Acuna made an error in left field.Tyler O’Neill http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-omar-infante-jersey , who entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth, had a run-scoring double, and Marcell Ozuna followed with an RBI single to make it 8-1.STRONG BULLPENJohn Brebbia and Jordan Hicks faced the minimum in the sixth and seventh, Dominic Leone pitched around a walk in the eighth and Mike Mayers faced five batters in the ninth. The Cardinals improved to 69-6 when leading after seven.STILL STRUGGLINGAfter walking 39 in their last five games, the Braves didn’t issue a free pass until the eighth, when Jonny Venters, Winkler and Freeman each walked a batter. Of the 35 runs allowed on this homestand, 15 reached with a walk.WELCOME SOUTHSt. Louis has won eight straight games in Atlanta dating to 2016, the best run since the Cardinals took 11 road games in a row against the Braves from 1967-68.UP NEXTCardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (8-7, 2.86 ERA) will make his first career appearance against Atlanta. The 22-year-old rookie pitched six innings, allowing four hits and one run, in losing his last start 3-0 to the Dodgers.Braves: RHP Touki Toussaint (1-1, 4.67 ERA) gets his fourth career start as he faces St. Louis for the first time. The 22-year-old rookie is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA as a starter. PITTSBURGH (AP) — The way Jameson Taillon pitched was only part of his perfect night at the ballpark Wednesday.Taillon was announced as the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually by Major League Baseball to a player “who shows extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”Clemente spent his entire career with the Pirates from 1954-72 before dying in a plane crash while attempting to transport supplies from his native Puerto Rico to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. Taillon met the Hall of Fame outfielder’s widow, Vera http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-travis-wood-jersey , and three children prior to the game.“It was the first time I ever had the opportunity to meet them and it was quite an honor, especially meeting the namesake of the man the award is named after,” Taillon said. “That was really special. Then to go out and win the game made things even more special.”The right-hander tossed five effective innings and helped send Homer Bailey to yet another loss as the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 to sweep their three-game series.Taillon (12-9) allowed only one run as he scattered eight hits and walked none while striking out six. He is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA in his last eight starts.Bailey (1-14) lost his ninth straight decision, and the Reds are 1-19 in his starts this season after he gave up three runs in five innings.Cincinnati put multiple runners on base during four of Taillon’s five innings but managed only one run when Jose Peraza homered in the first. Down 3-1, the Reds left the bases loaded in the fifth when Taillon struck out Scott Schebler to end the inning on his 100th and final pitch.“I had to regroup and get Schebler,” Taillon said. “If I don’t, it ruins the whole night.”“It was a lot of grit, will and making pitches when he had to,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.Felipe Vazquez survived a shaky ninth inning, allowing Dilson Herrera’s pinch-hit RBI double with none out, before earning his 30th save. After Herrera made it 3-2, Vazquez struck out Philip Ervin and Billy Hamilton, then walked Peraza and Joey Votto before getting NL batting leader Scooter Gennett to hit a game-ending comebacker.“He’s done that before,” Hurdle said. “It seems like when the situation arrives where there’s complications, he shows how collected he is.”Bailey’s lone win this year came May 12 at Dodger Stadium.“The bottom line is winning and losing,” he said when asked how he felt about his outing.Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cervelli hit back-to-back RBI singles with one out in the third to snap a 1-all tie. Colin Moran drew Pittsburgh even an inning earlier with a run-scoring double.Peraza, Schebler, Votto and Mason Williams each had two hits for the Reds Jordan Zimmermann Jersey , who outhit Pittsburgh 11-6.The Pirates lead the season series 12-4 and sent the Reds to their 11th loss in 14 games.“They made the pitches to get out of trouble,” Cincinnati interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “We had the bases loaded, they got out of that one. They got out of the one there late. Just coming up short.”TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (strained right forearm) had a 30-pitch bullpen, throwing all fastballs, and the team is hopeful he will be able to pitch in either a major league game before the end of the season or in the fall instructional league. Kuhl has been out since June 27.A GRAND FOR BAILEYBailey, a 12-year veteran, recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the fourth when he got Taillon swinging to end the inning. Bailey threw the first of two career no-hitters at Pittsburgh in 2012.HELLO, KRAMERPirates INF Kevin Kramer made his major league debut in the seventh inning, flying out as a pinch-hitter. He was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. SS Kevin Newman was on first base at the time, which surely delighted fans of the TV comedy series “Seinfeld.”BELL SITS AGAINPittsburgh 1B Josh Bell was on the bench for a second straight night. He is hitless in 13 at-bats over his last four games.UP NEXTReds: RHP Luis Castillo (8-11, 4.83 ERA) will pitch Thursday night against San Diego LHP Eric Lauer (5-7, 5.01) in opener of a four-game series at Cincinnati.Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (4-7, 4.56) starts Friday night against RHP Dan Straily (5-6, 4.13) and the visiting Marlins to begin a three-game series.
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