Jimmy Crooks homered in the eighth inning, with the St. Louis Cardinals ultimately beating the Atlanta Braves 2-1 early on Saturday. The contest was notable for a lengthy 2-hour, 44-minute rain delay that interrupted play.
Crooks Delivers Game-Winning Homer
Crooks entered the game in the seventh inning, initially coming on as a defensive replacement. He then hit his second home run of the season, connecting off Danny Young (0-1).
The decisive blow travelled 405 feet into the right-center field bleachers. This powerful hit broke a 1-1 tie, giving the Cardinals a crucial lead. Following Crooks’ homer, JoJo Romero (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for St. Louis.
Riley O’Brien then closed out the game in the ninth inning, recording his 23rd save of the season.
Early Braves Lead Amidst Rain Interruption
Atlanta had earlier taken the lead in the fifth inning against George Soriano. Mike Yastrzemski hit a double down the right field line and subsequently scored on Austin Riley’s single up the middle, giving the Braves a 1-0 advantage.
Play was halted at 8:02 p.m. in the top of the fourth inning due to heavy rain. The downpour was severe enough to flood both the dugouts and the field. Braves starter Chris Sale had recorded five strikeouts in three scoreless innings before the stoppage.
Ozzie Albies had a 1-2 count against Kyle Leahy when the game was interrupted. After the rain delay, George Soriano replaced Leahy on the mound and proceeded to strike out Albies.
Cardinals Level Score and Olson’s Record
The St. Louis Cardinals had previously drawn level in the sixth inning. Jordan Walker hit an RBI single to right field off Didier Fuentes, driving in JJ Wetherholt for their first run.
In a separate development for the Braves, first baseman Matt Olson featured in his 741st consecutive game. This appearance broke Dale Murphy’s franchise record, which had been set in 1986.
Looking ahead, Braves right-hander Reynaldo López (4-1, 3.18 ERA) is scheduled to face Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore (4-6, 5.34) on Saturday night.