The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in early Saturday action following a rain delay lasting 2 hours and 44 minutes. The game is tied 1-1 when Jimmy Crooks delivers the deciding blow. Crooks, who enters in the seventh inning as a defensive replacement, hits a two-run home run in the eighth inning to put the Cardinals ahead. The drive off Danny Young (0-1) travels 405 feet into the right-center field bleachers, moving the score from 1-1 to 2-1.
After Crooks’ go-ahead homer, St. Louis maintains its lead. JoJo Romero (1-2) pitches a scoreless eighth inning, keeping Atlanta off the board. In the ninth, Riley O’Brien closes the game and earns his 23rd save of the season. The Cardinals’ late-inning run and bullpen coverage secure the narrow victory after the weather interruption delays play.
