ATLANTA — For two teams that have lost ground in the standings because they have been unable to gain much of anything on the scoreboard, it seemed like it would not take many runs at all to win Wednesday night’s game.

Ozzie Albies produced two early and the Atlanta Braves held that lead for most of the game.

A series of unfortunate events for the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth inning allowed Atlanta to add to their lead in a 5-1 victory at Truist Park. Albies was, of course, in the middle of that rally, too. Atlanta’s All-Star second baseman had two RBIs in the first three innings, and he scored a run in the eighth as the tightly knit game unraveled on the Cardinals.

An error by Blaze Jordan helped put the rally in motion for the Braves in their final at-bat, and a dynamo attempt at a play by Alec Burleson nearly saved a run.

Burleson barehanded a bunt grounder and flung home.

His throw was too late to get the runner.

It was Albies sliding in and smiling as he was called safe.

The Cardinals managed a single run in the first inning and offered starter Michael McGreevy no further support. The Cardinals did not have a hit after the first inning.

They were 2 for 4 as a team when they took the lead.

They went 0 for 25 from there.

Atlanta retired the final 20 Cardinals batters in order.

Four Braves relievers were perfect in their appearances, retiring all 12 batters they faced.

McGreevy (3-7) completed his fifth quality start in his past six appearances by holding the Braves to two Albies RBIs on three hits through six innings. McGreevy struck out three batters, and, yes, Albies was one of them, too. The 10-year big-leaguer was all over the box score, and the Cardinals’ offense was not.

Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez (4-1) held the Cardinals to one run through six innings. He struck out six, and the two hits he allowed – both in the first inning – were the Cardinals’ only hits of the game.

Oz brings them home

Both of the runs McGreevy allowed came off the same bat.

Albies, Atlanta’s decorated second baseman, had a good feel immediately for the Cardinals’ right-hander.

Entering the game, the Braves lineup had limited experience against McGreevy. Only three of Atlanta’s players had an at-bat in the majors against him before, and they had a grand total of nine at-bats. Joey Bart, who wasn’t in the lineup Wednesday, had four of them. Albies had never faced McGreevy before, but it did not take long for him to get familiar.

After Drake Baldwin’s single led off the bottom of the first, Albies tagged a pitch off the brick wall in right-center field. The ball did not clear the wall for a home run, but it came close, and Albies was ultimately thrown out trying to race for third. That slowed the Braves’ rally as the first out of the inning, but Albies restarted it on his own two innings later.

Albies’ double tied the game.

He broke the tie in the third.

The switch-hitter drilled another off-speed pitch from McGreevy with two outs in the third inning for a solo homer. Albies’ 13th homer of the season traveled an estimated 380 feet into the seats above the right-field brick wall.

Albies’ hits were two of the three McGreevy allowed.

Winn’s gem, gives McGreevy third chance

It would have been an intriguing call for Cardinals manager Oli Marmol in the fifth inning if Albies came up with two runners on base.

Masyn Winn’s dashing catch kept that from happening.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, McGreevy skirted around a walk with a pair of groundouts, and that brought leadoff hitter Baldwin to the plate. Atlanta’s catcher and reigning Rookie of the Year has been at the core of the Braves’ offensive struggles in recent weeks, and he snapped a 0 for 36 on Tuesday night only to groundout in a key moment later in that game. With Albies on deck and already 2 for 2 against McGreevy, Baldwin skied a fly ball that appeared destined for the Pete Kozma Zone.

You know the one.

It wasn’t the same ballpark, but it was definitely the same city that a ball dropped in between Cardinals fielders in shallow left field only to have the Braves batter called out on an infield fly rule. Atlanta’s fans responded predictably with boos and trash tossed on the field, and a playoff game pivoted in the Cardinals’ direction.

On Wednesday, the moment was nearly as dramatic – because Winn made the catch.

Sprinting from his shortstop position, Winn lost his hat but not his angle on the ball. He split between teammates Lars Nootbaar and Jordan to make the catch for the final out of the inning.

That left Albies standing their on deck, his third crack at McGreevy delayed.

To start the sixth inning fresh, McGreevy got to face Albies for that third time, and he flipped the results on the switch-hitting infielder.

Albies doubled in the first inning on a changeup, and he lofted a full-count curveball for the home run in the third inning. In the fifth, McGreevy started Albies off with a snappier curve. He then missed with a sinker and Albies fouled off a slider. Ahead in the count, McGreevy went back to the changeup as a chase pitch. Albies didn’t bite. McGreevy turned to a pitch that did. On a 2-2 count, McGreevy buzzed Albies with an 87.5-mph cutter that got a swing and miss for his third and final strikeout.

Winn’s catch coupled with that strikeout paved the way for McGreevy to complete six innings and turn a one-run deficit over to the bullpen.

He authored his 11th quality start in 17 games.

Georgia native for the lead

His image has been featured on advertisements around Atlanta for the series against the Cardinals, and no wonder. A graduate of Decatur (Georgia) High and native of nearby Stone Mountain, Ga., Walker is the local kid putting together an All-Star first half and he’s the emerging face of the Cardinals’ franchise as an opponent, and not just for his hometown team.

Walker delivered his first run of this homecoming for a quick lead Wednesday.

Ivan Herrera skipped a rulebook double into the seats beyond left-center field to getting into scoring position for Walker. The Cardinals’ cleanup hitter followed with a two-out RBI single to right field. Walker’s 59th RBI of the season gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead that would not outlast the first inning.

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