Burleson, Goldschmidt hit home runs in Cardinals’ 6-2 win over Braves

Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras also hit solo home runs.

Miles Mikolas (8-8) surrendered two runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one for the Cardinals, who won the season series against the Braves for the first time since 2017.

“I liked it a little bit better,” Mikolas said. “We defended well there. They hit some hard balls at me, but we were well positioned.”

Seven-time All-Star Goldschmidt was 1 for 4 from the No. 7 spot, a spot he hadn’t hit since 2012 when he was with the Diamondbacks. He entered the game batting just .206 against right-handed pitching this season and has a career-low OPS of 150.

“It’s always good to see him smile,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “The looser he plays, the better he gets. Obviously it was fun to see him hit a home run today. Hopefully he can build on that. He’s a very good hitter.”

Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (3-5) suffered the loss, his second to the Cardinals this season. He surrendered four runs on seven hits, including three solo homers. He struck out eight.

Jarred Kelenic hit a home run for the Braves.

Burleson’s home run came in the third inning to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead. He hit a 95-mph fastball and hit a 435-foot home run off the roof of the Chop House restaurant in right field.

“I’ve seen fastballs in all the series and I’ve got a good swing on it,” Burleson said. “I looked red as hell and I got it.”

His second RBI came in the fifth inning when his single scored Michael Siani, who dove at home plate just before Travis d’Arnaud’s tag.

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies broke his wrist in the ninth inning while fielding a throw to second base during a stolen base attempt, and he also bent his glove backward when he collided with Siani.

The Braves announced after the game that X-rays revealed a broken wrist, and Albies is expected to miss eight weeks. The three-time All-Star is hitting .255 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs, almost exclusively from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.

Braves: The Braves placed All-Star LHP Max Fried on the 15-day IL, retroactive to July 18, because of forearm neuritis. Fried felt discomfort when he came off before pitching one inning in the All-Star Game. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but he will not pitch until he is asymptomatic. The Braves promoted LHP Dylan Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante (4-4, 4.21) faces Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (10-5, 3.46) in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday.

Braves: RHP Reynaldo López (7-3, 1.88) will face Reds RHP Hunter Greene (6-4, 3.34) in an All-Stars game, opening a three-game series on Monday in Atlanta.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb