Two Homers Lift Cardinals Past Braves

Nathan Church and Masyn Winn of the Cardinals celebrate a home run against the Braves

July 1, 2026

Cardinals 5, Braves 3

The St. Louis Cardinals opened their series with a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Truist Park. Matthew Liberatore allowed one hit over five innings to earn the win as the Cardinals used a four-run fourth inning to pull away. Nathan Church hit a three-run homer and Nelson Velázquez added a solo shot. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his 21st save as Martín Pérez took the loss for the Braves.

Braves Draw First Blood

The Braves grabbed an early lead in the third. Jorge Mateo reached, stole second, and came home on an Ozzie Albies sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Liberatore survived traffic throughout his five innings, but that was the run that briefly put the Cardinals behind.

The Fourth Belongs to the Cardinals

Pérez could not hold the lead in the fourth. Velázquez led off with a game-tying solo homer to center, a 444-foot blast that made it 1-1. Later in the inning, with two outs, Church crushed a three-run homer to right, scoring Masyn Winn and Lars Nootbaar to put the Cardinals ahead, 4-1. Pérez finished with four earned runs on five hits across five innings, allowing the two home runs on 85 pitches.

The Cardinals tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Winn drew a walk, stole second, and scored on a Blaze Jordan sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-1.

Liberatore Dominates

Liberatore was overpowering when he needed to be. The left-hander allowed only one hit over five innings, striking out nine while walking four on 98 pitches. The Braves put runners aboard in four of his five innings but could not deliver the big hit. It was a strong bounce-back for Liberatore, who had struggled in his previous start against the Diamondbacks.

Braves Chip Away Late

The Braves refused to fold. They scratched out single runs in the seventh and eighth against the Cardinals. Albies delivered a two-out RBI single off JoJo Romero to score Mateo in the seventh, and Mauricio Dubón crossed the plate on Ryan Fernandez‘s wild pitch in the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-3.

O’Brien slammed the door with a scoreless ninth. He pitched around a one-out Matt Olson double for the save, closing out a night in which the Braves stranded 11 runners.

What Went Right for the Cardinals

Liberatore’s Gem

One hit, nine strikeouts, five innings. Liberatore pitched around four walks and never let the Braves cash in, handing the relievers a three-run lead. It was the kind of start that steadies a rotation.

Church’s Big Swing

Church went 1-for-4 but made his hit count, driving in three with a homer that turned a tie game into a three-run lead. His blast was the decisive swing of the night.

Velázquez Stays Hot

Velázquez went 2-for-2 with a home run and a walk, reaching base three times. He tied the game with his solo shot and remains a steady presence in the middle of the order.

What Went Wrong for the Cardinals

Late Runs Allowed

Cardinals relievers JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez gave back two runs in the seventh and eighth, turning a comfortable lead into a save situation before O’Brien restored order in the ninth.

Quiet Bats Late

The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits and went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. But after the sixth inning, the offense went silent.

Quick Hits

The Cardinals improved to 44-38 with the win, while the Braves fell to 49-34.
Liberatore struck out nine and allowed one hit across five innings.
Velázquez and Church homered in the four-run fourth.
The Cardinals went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position; the Braves went 1-for-12 and left 11 on base.

Looking Ahead

Matthew Liberatore (4-5, 5.33 ERA) earned the win for the Cardinals as Martín Pérez (6-5, 3.27) took the loss for the Braves. Riley O’Brien earned the save.

The Cardinals and Braves continue their series Wednesday, July 1 at 6:15 pm Central at Truist Park. Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.12) is expected to take the mound for the Cardinals against the Reynaldo López (3-1, 3.47) of the Braves.