By R.B. FALLSTROM
Associated Press
(ST. LOUIS, AP) — The track record suggested Carlos Martinez was on a roll. The St. Louis Cardinals pitcher just could not get comfortable.
“From the first inning, I didn’t feel right,” Martinez said through an interpreter after giving up two three-run home runs in a 13-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night. “I felt just negative, just a little bit of a negative mentality, but I have faith I’m going to be able to get back right into it.”
Martinez (10-7) surrendered a season-worst seven runs, and his six earned runs matched his season worst. He entered with a 2.99 ERA and had won six of his previous seven decisions.
“It was just mental, having just a negative mindset,” Martinez said. “It’s just one of the days that I went out there to play and not to compete.”
Freddie Freeman and Adonis Garcia had three-run home runs and the Atlanta Braves got enough from Roberto Hernandez in his first start this season.
Martinez said Freeman belted a changeup and Garcia hit a fastball.
Manager Mike Matheny said the 24-year-old Martinez appeared unsure whether to go for early outs with the sinker or try to overpower hitters with his fastball.
“I think he was literally in-between at times,” Matheny said. “Those two three-run homers will cost you pretty big, but at times his stuff looked really sharp.”
The Cardinals appeared to dodge serious injuries with catcher Yadier Molina and leadoff man Matt Carpenter, who both had encouraging medical reports after leaving the game. Molina (right middle finger contusion) had difficulty gripping a bat and throwing, and coaches thought Carpenter held back on a swing.
Matt Adams had an RBI double pinch hitting for Molina in the eighth.
The 35-year-old Hernandez (1-0), who previously pitched under the name Fausto Carmona, was the 14th starting pitcher used by the Braves this season, one off the franchise record in 1975. He allowed three runs in five-plus innings in his first start since July 19, 2015 with the Astros.
Ender Inciarte and Matt Kemp each had two-run homers during a six-run ninth. Inciarte had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, and Kemp’s 24th of the season off Jonathan Broxton was his first since a trade from San Diego.
Atlanta beat the Cardinals for the first time in five meetings this season. Atlanta is last in the majors with a 40-70 record and 70 homers but has won seven of its last 11.
Kolten Wong had a pinch-hit homer for St. Louis but grounded out with the bases loaded to end the sixth against Ian Krol.
Freeman reached safely all five trips, adding two singles and two walks. He’d been batting just .205 with runners in scoring position before his 19th homer put Atlanta up 4-1, and Garcia’s ninth of the season made it a 7-2 cushion in the fifth.
KEY REPLAYS
Atlanta took the lead in the first after challenging a neighborhood play at second base. The Cardinals lost a challenge in the eighth on Tommy Pham’s run-scoring groundout after closing the gap to 7-5.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (right knee) will see a specialist early next week for a stress fracture.
UP NEXT
Braves: Mike Foltynewicz hasn’t made it through the sixth his last three outings, allowing 14 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings.
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright has a 1.99 ERA his last six starts and is 8-2 with a 2.95 ERA against Atlanta, which drafted him in the first round in 2000 and traded him to St. Louis in a deal for J.D. Drew in December 2003.