​The St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed one of the strongest starts of the year from Matthew Liberatore as they hosted the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves on Saturday night at Busch Stadium. Lars Nootbaar supplied the power to help push the Cardinals toward a victory, delivering the kind of game-changing moment that can define a win.
The Cardinals jumped on the Braves early, putting a run on the board in the top of the first inning. After JJ Wetherholt grounded out to begin the frame, Iván Herrera reached on an infield single to the second base side. Alec Burleson followed with a line drive to center for the second out, and Jordan Walker then ripped a single to right, loading the bases for St. Louis with two away. Nootbaar didn’t miss a miscue from Braves starter Jared Lopez, crushing a 76 mph curveball into the right-center field stands for a two-strike, 435-foot homer. The blast gave the Cardinals a commanding 3-0 lead and provided an early jolt of momentum.
Nootbaar continued to contribute in the bottom of the fourth. He led off with a walk, and two batters later scored on Blaze Jordan’s RBI single up the middle, stretching the advantage to 4-0 as the Cardinals began to put distance between themselves and Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Liberatore was the story through the first six frames. He stymied the Braves nearly from start to finish, allowing just one Braves runner to reach scoring position in the top of the first when Ozzie Albies advanced to second on a wild pitch. Beyond that stumble, Liberatore dominated the Atlanta lineup, keeping them off the scoreboard for six innings and giving St. Louis a cushion that would hold throughout the night.
The Cardinals bullpen also contributed, with Luis Gastelum facing the Braves in the seventh inning and exiting on a sour note when Mauricio Dubon lined the first pitch into the left-field bullpen for a homer, cutting the deficit to 4-1. The 80 mph sweeping curveball traveled 401 feet, underscoring the Braves’ potential to swing back in a single swing. Gastelum recovered to strand a runner on second with a strikeout and a groundout, then George Soriano came on to quietly handle the top of the eighth, retiring the Braves in order to keep the line intact.
St. Louis’ offense didn’t add any more runs after the fourth, but they didn’t need to. Riley Reynolds and the bullpen combined to lock down Atlanta’s bats through the late innings, and the Cardinals went on to claim a 4-1 victory. Riley O’Brien was tasked with closing in the ninth, and while he issued a leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch, he recovered quickly to finish the job, preserving the win.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will attempt to seal the series sweep on Sunday as they prepare to host the Braves with Dustin May slated to start for St. Louis. Atlanta will counter with RHP JR Ritchie. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Central Time, and fans can catch the game on Cardinals TV for a complete broadcast. This win highlighted Liberatore’s steady performance, Nootbaar’s clutch power, and a St. Louis pitching staff that answered the bell when it mattered most.