ST. LOUIS — Tied at three runs apiece with two outs in the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals’ chance to head into the bottom of the ninth inning with the score still even evaporated on a play at first base that ended with Masyn Winn being charged with a throwing error on Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Winn overthrew Alec Burleson at first with runners on first and third base on a weak grounder Mauricio Dubon hit to shortstop. The throw allowed Ozzie Albies to score on a play that, if Winn’s throw had been on target, would have been tight at first base.

The late run sent the Cardinals into the All-Star break with a 4-3 loss.

Before the error on Dubon’s grounder off lefty JoJo Romero, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was ejected one at-bat prior. The Cardinals challenged a hit by pitch of Michael Harris II after Romero threw an 0-2 sinker that ran in on Harris and was ruled a hit by pitch from home plate umpire Adam Beck. Marmol quickly walked out from the dugout to ask for a review of the play.

After a replay review on a Cardinals challenge, Beck announced that the call was upheld because the pitch hit Harris’ forearm. Marmol left the dugout once more to argue and was ejected by third base umpire Dan Iassogna amid an exchange with Beck that could be heard throughout Busch Stadium because an umpire's microphone was left turned on.

The Cardinals (50-45) entered the ninth inning tied 3-3 thanks to Jose Fermin’s two-run single in the sixth inning. Fermin’s single drew the Cardinals even after they trailed 3-1 at the start of the frame after the Braves scored runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings.

Fermin comes through in clutch

After the Cardinals turned to their bench with the bases loaded and one out as they trailed 3-1 in the sixth, it was the bat already in the lineup who provided the swing that drew them even.

Marmol called on Blaze Jordan to pinch-hit for Nathan Church against lefty Dylan Dodd and then called on Bryan Torres to hit for Jordan once the Braves turned to right-hander Didier Fuentes. Torres’ at-bat ended without a ball in play as he struck out on four pitches to bring up Fermin.

Hitless through his first two at-bats of the Sunday finale, Fermin was greeted by Fuentes with four fastballs that ranged from 97.3 to 98.7 mph. Fermin got a piece of the third fastball in that sequence before the fourth was taken for a ball to put him in a 2-2 count.

Fermin saw a fifth fastball and found success on it. He lined a single to center field that scored Jordan Walker and Lars Nootbaar to close a 3-1 deficit.

Play at plate overturned

For a moment, it appeared Walker had prevented the Braves from taking a 2-1 lead thanks to a strong throw to the plate that nabbed Austin Riley.

That was until a replay review was initiated by the Braves and overturned the out call that would have ended the fourth inning.

May allowed All-Star Drake Baldwin to single to right field with runners on first and second base and no outs in the inning. Baldwin’s single reached Walker at a medium depth in the outfield and was fielded cleanly. The Cardinals’ All-Star outfielder delivered a strong throw that reached catcher Jimmy Crooks at home in time for Crooks to field it and place a tag on Riley before he touched home plate.

Or so it appeared.

A replay review initiated by the Braves showed Riley’s left hand touched home plate ahead of Crooks’ tag, leading the play to be overturned and gave the Braves to a run that put them ahead.

Wild pitch allows Braves to score

The 33-pitch inning starter Dustin May labored through in the second inning ended with the right-hander seeing six hitters, walking three and allowing a run to score in an at-bat that ended without a ball being put in play.

May’s lengthy inning began with back-to-back walks to Dominic Smith and Riley. A sacrifice bunt from Jim Jarvis advanced the two to second and third base with Braves’ No. 9 hitter Brewer Hicklen slotted behind him.

Working with two runners in scoring position, May used sinkers and a fastball to strike out Hicklen and put him one out away from wiggling out of the inning. That was until a walk to leadoff hitter and Baldwin prolonged the inning and brought up fellow Albies.

May got to two strikes four pitches into his encounter with Albies and struck him out on the eighth pitch he threw him, but it was the fifth that hurt the righty.

May had a sweeper slip away from him for a wild pitch that allowed Smith to score without a play at the plate.

Walker’s busy 1st frame

On the day before he steps onto the national stage as a participant of this year’s Home Run Derby, Walker contributed in ways that didn’t involve his bat.

In the top half of the first inning, it was Walker’s glove that played a role.

With runners on the corner and two outs, Walker chased down Dubon’s fly ball into foul territory and tumbled into the netting along the wall down the right field line to secure the final out of May’s first inning.

In the bottom half of the frame, his plate vision and speed helped the Cardinals score their first run.

Walker drew a two-out walk against Braves opener Danny Young and stole second during Alec Burleson’s at-bat to get into scoring position for the Cardinals’ second-leading RBI producer. The stolen base, which was Walker’s 13th of the season, put him in position to score on a double Burleson sent to left field.

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