For the third straight game, the Braves and Cardinals came down to the wire. But for the first time, the Braves came away with the win on a walk-off RBI single by Brooks Conrad in the ninth, salvaging a win, 6-5.
The Cardinals scored the first four runs in the game between the first and fifth innings. Matt Holliday doubled in two and Lance Berkman doubled in two, and Albert Pujols added an RBI single.
The Braves responded in the fifth with three runs on an Alex Gonzalez two-run home run and Brandon Hicks RBI single to cut the lead to one. With the tying run on third and one out, Martin Prado grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The Braves took the lead in the seventh when Pujols committed an error that allowed a run to score, and Prado singled in the go-ahead run. But the Cardinals tied it at five in the eighth when Holliday doubled and scored on a sac fly by Yadier Molina.
The score remained tied at five until the ninth when the Braves finally broke through with the winning run on a Brooks Conrad RBI single.
Gonzalez went 1-4 with a home run and two RBIs, and he scored twice. Prado, Conrad and Hicks added one RBI each. McLouth went 1-3 with a walk. Joe Mather received the start in place of Freddie Freeman and went 0-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
Derek Lowe allowed four runs on six hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five. Aside from the first inning, Lowe pitched pretty well, inducing six groundouts to three flyouts. But he wasn't very efficient and lasted just five. Scott Linebrink loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but he induced a double play and George Sherrill received the final out for a scoreless inning.
Eric O'Flaherty pitched a scoreless seventh. Cory Gearrin allowed a run on a hit and walk in the eighth, which resulted in a tied game. Jonny Venters pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Jaime Garcia allowed four runs on five hits in six innings, walking one and striking out six. He induced an equal number of groundouts and flyouts. He didn't allow a hit until the fifth, which ended up being a three-run inning. Jason Motte allowed the tying run in the seventh. Ryan Franklin gave up the winning run in the ninth after pitching a scoreless eighth.
Holliday went 2-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Berkman went 2-4 with a double and RBI. Pujols and Molina each had one RBI.
For more on the series, Braves fans check out Talking Chop and Cardinals fans check out Viva El Birdos.