Injury fill-in Alvarez scores winning run and Braves hit 3 HRs to edge Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sean Murphy, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Marcell Ozuna homered and the Atlanta Braves rallied against St. Louis' two top relievers to beat the Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday.

Nacho Alvarez Jr., filling in for injured third baseman Austin Riley, singled twice and scored the winning run on Jurickson Profar’s ninth-inning groundout against closer Ryan Helsley (3-1).

Murphy, who hit the two longest home runs of this season at Busch Stadium on Friday night, put the Braves ahead 6-5 with a high drive that cleared the glove of José Fermín as he leaped at the left-field wall in the eighth. The three-run shot was Murphy’s 16th homer of the season and the first allowed by reliever Phil Maton in 37 appearances this season.

St. Louis tied it when pinch-runner Garrett Hampson scored on a wild pitch by Daysbel Hernández (4-1) in the eighth.

Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save.

Yohel Pozo and Nolan Gorman homered, and Brendan Donovan had two hits, including an RBI single in the eighth, for the Cardinals.

St. Louis, which had been shut out in each of Erick Fedde’s previous three starts, broke through with three runs against Atlanta opener Aaron Bummer in the second inning to draw even after early home runs Acuña and Ozuna.

Pozo led off the bottom of the second with a double into the left-field corner and scored on Thomas Saggese’s RBI single. Gorman followed with a 423-foot blast to tie it at 3. Pozo added a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth.

Acuña, who pulled himself out of the home run derby in Atlanta next Tuesday, hit a 379-foot drive into the Braves’ bullpen in the first.

Ozuna clobbered a 422-foot solo shot in the second, and Alvarez made it 3-0 with a single for his first big-league RBI in nine career games.

After the St. Louis bullpen had retired seven in a row, Profar doubled to lead off the eighth and Acuña drew a one-out walk to set the table for Murphy’s 372-foot drive.

Murphy has seven home runs in his last 11 games. He had hit just two in his prior 33 games.

RHP Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.51 ERA), whose last turn in the rotation was moved up a day to allow him to squeeze in an extra start before the All-Star break takes the mound Sunday for St. Louis. Atlanta had not announced a starter.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Gorman is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Saturday, July 12, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Atlanta Braves' Nacho Alvarez Jr., right, scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Atlanta Braves' Sean Murphy, right, is congratulated by teammate Ronald Acuna Jr. after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, July 12, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Members of the Atlanta Braves celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals following a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies and Luke Williams (37) celebrate a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals following a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama returned to the court after limping off with a right leg injury in the opening minutes of the San Antonio Spurs' game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Wembanyama returned to the bench at the close of the first quarter and was on the court to start the second quarter.

Wembanyama dropped to the court after making knee-to-knee contact with the left leg of Milwaukee center Giannis Antetokounmpo under the Bucks basket with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter. Antetokounmpo was driving to the rim when the two made contact.

Wembanyama remained on the court for a few seconds before rising and hobbling unassisted in a half sprint toward the locker room.

Wembanyama suffered a hyperextended knee on Dec. 31 in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in a similar play. He returned to the bench but missed the next two games.

San Antonio enters Thursday's game on a two-game skid, including a 119-98 loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reveals a freshly shaved head as he warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)