SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Atlanta Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Truist Park, snapping a two-game skid and handing the Cardinals their third loss in four games.

Reynaldo López earned the win for Atlanta, improving to 4-1 on the season. The right-hander allowed one earned run on two hits over five innings, striking out six and walking one. Michael McGreevy took the loss for St. Louis, falling to 3-7 after giving up two earned runs on three hits across six innings with three strikeouts and three walks.

The game lasted 2 hours, 16 minutes before an announced crowd of 27,361.

Atlanta drew first blood in the bottom of the first after St. Louis had taken a quick lead. The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top half when Iván Herrera led off with a ground-rule double and scored two batters later on a sharp line-drive single to right by Jordan Walker. But the Braves answered immediately. Drake Baldwin singled, and Ozzie Albies followed with a double to right-center that drove in Baldwin. Albies attempted to stretch the hit into a triple but was thrown out at third on a relay from right fielder Walker to shortstop Masyn Winn to first baseman Alec Burleson to third baseman Blaze Jordan, ending the inning tied 1-1.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the third. With one out, Albies crushed a 1-0 pitch from McGreevy to right-center field for his 13th home run of the season, giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead. The solo shot proved to be the decisive blow for much of the night, as both pitching staffs settled into a rhythm.

López retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced after the first inning, allowing only a two-out walk to JJ Wetherholt in the third. He struck out the side in order in the fourth, fanning Walker, Lars Nootbaar and Winn. McGreevy matched him, holding Atlanta scoreless through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He allowed only one hit after Albies’ homer, a walk to Mike Yastrzemski in the fifth, and worked around a forceout and a flyout to keep the deficit at one run.

St. Louis managed only two hits all night, both in the first inning. After Herrera’s double and Walker’s RBI single, the Cardinals did not put another runner in scoring position. López retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, and the Braves’ bullpen combination of Dylan Lee, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd and Raisel Iglesias combined for four perfect innings, allowing no hits, no walks and striking out five.

The game remained 2-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, when Atlanta broke it open with a three-run outburst. McGreevy had been replaced after six innings by Gordon Graceffo, who quickly ran into trouble. Drake Baldwin led off with a walk, and Albies reached on a fielder’s choice that sent Baldwin to second. The play was aided by a fielding error from third baseman Blaze Jordan, who mishandled the throw, allowing both runners to advance. Matt Olson then flied out to right, moving Baldwin to third.

Michael Harris II delivered the pivotal hit, lining a single to center that scored Baldwin and moved Albies to third. Mauricio Dubón followed with a sacrifice bunt that scored Albies and advanced Harris to second. Dominic Smith then singled to right, but Harris was thrown out at the plate on a strong throw from Walker to catcher Pedro Pagés. With two outs and Dubón at third, Austin Riley singled to left, plating Dubón and making it 5-1. Yastrzemski struck out to end the frame.

Graceffo was charged with one earned run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out one. Max Rajcic pitched a scoreless seventh for St. Louis, striking out one.

Albies finished 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. Harris went 1 for 4 with an RBI. For St. Louis, Walker was 1 for 4 with the lone RBI and Herrera was 1 for 4 with a run scored. The Cardinals struck out 14 times and drew only one walk.

The Braves improved to 50-34, while the Cardinals fell to 44-39. Atlanta had lost the series opener the previous night 5-3, after St. Louis had taken two of three from Miami and had split a four-game set with Arizona. Atlanta had dropped three of its previous four games entering Wednesday.

The two teams meet again Thursday in the series finale, after which St. Louis travels to Chicago for a weekend set against the Cubs. Atlanta will host the New York Mets for four games starting Friday, then travel to Pittsburgh.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Atlanta Braves 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Atlanta a 59.10 percent probability to win. Atlanta was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of six went over the over-under line of nine.