ST. LOUIS _ After walking Atlanta rookie Austin Riley intentionally to load the bases in the 10th inning Sunday night, the Cardinals' Tyler Webb walked Brian McCann on five pitches to force in the go-ahead run in a 4-3 loss to the Braves before a crowd of 45,152 Sunday night at Busch Stadium.
The Braves trailed 3-0 entering the ninth and rallied to force extra innings.
With one out in the 10th, Webb came on and gave up an infield hit to Freddie Freeman. A walk and an out later, Webb intentionally walked Riley to load the bases and then walked McCann.
In the home half of the 10th, Marcell Ozuna flew out and Matt Carpenter struck out. After a single from Yadier Molina, Braves pitcher Luke Jackson got Kolten Wong on a strikeout to end the game.
With the Cardinals up 3-0, Jordan Hicks started the ninth for the Cardinals and could not get an out.
Hicks allowed a leadoff double to Freddie Freeman, a wild pitch and a run-scoring single to Josh Donaldson before walking Nick Markakis. Austin Riley followed with a run-scoring single to left-center that cut the lead to 3-2 and put runners at second and third with no outs.
Lefty Andrew Miller took over and struck out Brian McCann before allowing a run-scoring single to right to Ozzie Albies to tie the game at 3. The Cardinals eventually retired Albies in a rundown for the second out.
John Brebbia came on in relief and eventually struck out Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Cardinals were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth.
St. Louis jumped on top in the fourth inning, taking advantage of two Atlanta errors.
With one out, Wong reached when left fielder Riley misplayed his line drive into a two-base error. Harrison Bader followed with a hit to right _ the Cardinals' first of the night _ to give the home team the 1-0 lead.
After Bader stole third, he scored to make it 2-0 when pitcher Jack Flaherty grounded to third and Donaldson threw wild to the plate.
Both runs were unearned.
The Cardinals added to their lead in the fifth. After Paul DeJong was hit by pitch and Ozuna hit into a forceout, Ozuna stole second and moved to third on Matt Carpenter's infield single. Ozuna scored on a Molina sacrifice fly, making it 3-0.
Flaherty pitched six innings. He allowed three hits and no walks. He hit a batter and struck out seven.
The visiting Braves had the game's first two hits _ a one-out single in the first from Dansby Swanson and a two-out single from Acuna in the third _ but they've also struck out five times early against the Cardinals' Flaherty.
In the Cardinals' first, Dexter Fowler was hit by an 0-2 pitch and promptly stole second. Later in the inning, Ozuna walked with two outs. Both runners were stranded.
With two outs in the Cardinals third, Paul Goldschmidt, DeJong and Ozuna walked to load the bases. But Carpenter grounded out sharply to first baseman Freeman to end the threat.
The Cardinals only had three hits the whole game.
