Kelenic, thriving in leadoff spot, has 3 hits, home run as Braves top Cards 6-2 in twinbill opener

ST. LOUIS -- — Jarred Kelenic had three hits, including his eighth home run, and three RBI to lead the Atlanta Braves over the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 in a doubleheader opener Wednesday for their ninth win in 12 games.

Kelenic hit a two-run homer in the sixth and is batting .326 (14 for 43) with four homers and nine RBI since being moved to the leadoff spot in the batting order.

“I’m sticking to my plan, trying to hunt pitches over the inside of the plate so I can get extended on it, and stay inside it,” Kelenic said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think I’m getting a few more pitches over the heart of the plate, and I’m not missing them.”

Kelenic moved up in the order after Ronald Acuña Jr. got hurt.

“He’s swinging with a lot of confidence right now," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Reynaldo López (6-2) improved to 4-0 in his last five starts, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings. Dylan Lee, Pierce Johnson, Joe Jiménez and Raisel Iglesias each pitched one inning of hitless relief.

López’s 1.70 ERA in his first 14 starts of the season is the lowest for a Braves pitcher since Tom Glavine’s 1.64 in 2002.

“He had to really work,” Snitker said. “He’s had to withstand two rain delays.”

Atlanta (44-33) matched its season high of 11 games over .500.

St. Louis had won its previous four games, moving three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season.

Kyle Gibson (5-3) allowed four runs and four hit in four innings with five walks, his most since April 30, 2022, for Philadelphia.

“Just out of sync throughout that inning,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of the second. “It’s not like him at all to walk five.”

Gibson had been scratched from his most recent scheduled start due to back and hip stiffness, and hadn’t pitched since June 14.

“I threw my normal bullpen … this week and everything felt really good,” Gibson said. “So today, did everything as normal, and just unfortunately was a little out of sync at times.”

A day after a rainout, this game began 46 minutes late because of rain.

After Ramón Laureano hit into a run-scoring forceout, Zack Short had a two-run single in a four-run second that included Kelenic’s RBI single. Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, and Alec Burleson had a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Kelenic’s homer was the first allowed by Kyle Leahy in 17 appearances and 28 1/3 innings this season.

Braves right-hander Bryce Elder was to be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start the second game against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. St. Louis was to recall right-hander Chris Roycroft for its bullpen.

TRAINERS ROOM

Braves: Orlando Arcia (dizziness) missed the opener after being removed in the sixth inning Monday night. ... 3B Brian Anderson was put on the 10-day IL Tuesday with a bacterial infection, retroactive to Sunday. ... LHP AJ Minter (left hip inflammation) moved to Triple-A Gwinnett on his rehab assignment.

Cardinals: INF/OF Tommy Edman, working his way back from offseason right wrist surgery, sprained an ankle while fielding ground balls on Tuesday. ... OF Lars Nootbaar (oblique strain) took batting practice on the field for the first time Tuesday, and reported no ill effects. He could start a rehab assignment this weekend.

UP NEXT

Braves: LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.91) is to start Thursday as the Chicago White Sox. Chicago, his team from 2010-16, started RHP Drew Thorpe (1-1, 5.02)

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (6-6, 4.68 ERA) starts Thursday’s opener against visiting Cincinnati and LHP Andrew Abbott (6-6, 3.40).

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