ST. LOUIS -- Mauricio Dubón didn’t hit the ball particularly hard.
He didn't need to.
With two outs in the ninth inning and the go-ahead run standing at third, Dubón chopped a ground ball toward Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, whose throw skipped wide of first base just enough to allow Ozzie Albies to score, lifting the Braves to a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
The win prevented a three-game sweep and improved Atlanta to 55-40 entering the All-Star break with a two-game cushion atop the National League East.
It also rewarded another gritty effort from Atlanta's pitching staff.
After opener Danny Young recorded just two outs in the first inning, rookie JR Ritchie stabilized the game with one of the best outings of his young Major League career. The 22-year-old pitcher did not allow a hit until his fifth inning of work, ultimately allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings to keep Atlanta within striking distance.
The Braves finally broke through offensively in the fourth when Brewer Hicklen's first hit of the afternoon sparked a two-out rally. Drake Baldwin followed with an RBI single that initially appeared to end the inning before replay overturned the out call at the plate, giving Atlanta its first lead.
Hicklen wasn't finished. After Jim Jarvis doubled with two outs in the sixth, Hicklen followed with another double into the gap to extend Atlanta's advantage to 3-1.
St. Louis answered immediately, however, tying the game in the bottom half of the inning after José Fermín delivered a two-out, two-strike, bases-loaded single against Didier Fuentes.
The game stayed deadlocked until the ninth, when Albies doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and raced home on Dubón's infield single and Winn's errant throw, giving Atlanta just enough offense to head into the All-Star break with a much-needed win.