The St. Louis Cardinals secured a gritty victory against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, but trust me, this wasn't just any game. It was a wild one, chopped into two entirely different stories by a brutal two-hour rain delay. Before the skies opened up, it was a classic pitcher's duel, with Kyle Leahy for the Cardinals and Chris Sale for the Braves both bringing their A-game.
Leahy Shines Early, Then The Skies Break
Seriously, you gotta talk about Kyle Leahy's stuff for the Cardinals. Before that insane two-hour rain delay took both starters out of the game, Leahy was dealing. He was on the bump for three innings and only gave up a single hit: an infield single to Jim Jarvis way back in the top of the third. Chris Sale for the Braves had "nasty stuff," sure, but Leahy's results were flat out better. The Cardinals even got a little something going in the bottom of the third when Blaze Jordan ripped a ground rule double and JJ Wetherholt drew a walk, but they couldn't convert. Then came the deluge. We're talking water pouring into the dugouts, a full-on two-hour pause. You just knew that kind of break was gonna shift everything.Braves Grab The Lead, Walker Fires Back
When play finally resumed in the top of the fourth with a 1-2 count on Ozzie Albies, the whole vibe changed. George Soriano pitched a scoreless top of the fourth for St. Louis, but the Braves finally broke through in the fifth. Mike Yastrzemski hammered a one-out double down the right field line, and then Austin Riley followed it up with an RBI single to center, putting Atlanta up 1-0. Justin Bruihl came in to clean up the fifth and pitched a solid sixth inning, keeping it a one-run game. The Cardinals' bats were quiet until the bottom of the sixth, when they finally woke up against Braves reliever Didier Fuentes. JJ Wetherholt, celebrating his new 8-year extension, walked with one out. Then All-Star DH Iván Herrera singled, moving Wetherholt to second. And who else but Home Run Derby entrant All-Star Jordan Walker stepped up and ripped an RBI single to right, scoring Wetherholt and tying the game at 1-1! Alec Burleson's foul out stranded Herrera and Walker, but the game was knotted up.Grinding Out A W
Ryne Stanek took over in the seventh, walking Austin Riley with two outs but otherwise keeping the drama to a minimum as the score remained tied. The Cardinals tried to get something going in the bottom of the seventh with Masyn Winn walking, but a quick double play from José Fermín and a Blaze Jordan pop-out snuffed that out. JoJo Romero came on for the top of the eighth, and Nathan Church entered as a defensive replacement in center. The highlight of the inning, though? Jordan Walker, making a huge play, snagging Michael Harris II's deep fly ball right at the top of the wall. This game was a fight, a grind through weird conditions, and the Cardinals showed real resilience to pull off the victory after such a wild ride. That kind of tough win, overcoming delays and a deficit, just proves the grit of this squad. They found a way to win.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.