Sometimes, a step-by-step breakdown is the only way to do justice to a wild game—and Monday night in Atlanta was one of those times. In the series opener against the Cardinals, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach was looking to bounce back from a tough outing, and while it wasn’t flawless, he did just that. He kept things close enough for the Braves to rally late and, despite a near meltdown from closer Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta squeaked out a thrilling 7-6 win, marking their fourth straight victory.
Schwellenbach started strong, retiring the Cardinals in the first with ease, but defensive lapses and some shaky moments in the second handed St. Louis an early two-run lead. Nolan Gorman’s double, a wild throw from Matt Olson, and a slow infield single by Victor Scott II helped them capitalize. Still, the rookie regained composure, navigating trouble and even facing the lineup a third time. Though Gorman tagged him again in the sixth, Schwellenbach stayed locked in, finishing seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks, a performance good enough to keep his team in the fight.
On the other side, Erick Fedde was far from dominant, but benefited from generous defense and a tight strike zone. The Braves chipped away slowly. Austin Riley launched a game-tying homer in the third, and though Atlanta had runners throughout, they couldn’t break through again until late. Fedde exited after six with the game still close, but the Braves’ bats were heating up for a comeback.
In the eighth, Atlanta’s offense erupted. Riley’s hustle single and Ozuna’s walk set the table, and Olson tied it with a base hit. Then chaos ensued—Albies walked to load the bases, the Cardinals made a pitching change, and manager Ollie Marmol got ejected after more complaints about the zone. From there, Michael Harris II added a go-ahead sac fly before Sean Murphy crushed a three-run homer, capping off a five-run inning that electrified the crowd.
Just when it looked like smooth sailing to a win, Raisel Iglesias made it interesting—too interesting. He gave up three hits, including a two-run homer to Willson Contreras, cutting the lead to one. With the tying run on base and tension peaking, Nolan Arenado tapped the first pitch in front of the plate for an anticlimactic final out. Still, the Braves held on, extending their win streak and hoping to carry that momentum into Tuesday night—where they’ll have to figure out how to cover for Spencer Strider’s sudden reappearance on the injured list. But for now, four in a row feels pretty good.
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