By ,
Published April 08, 2016
ATLANTA (AP) The St. Louis Cardinals set a major league record with three pinch-hit home runs while rallying from a four-run deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-4 Friday night.
Rookie Aledmys Diaz got his first career homer to break a tie as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, and Greg Garcia and rookie Jeremy Hazelbaker also had pinch-hit homers in the Cardinals' first win.
Hazelbaker homered off Matt Wisler in the seventh to tie the game at 4. Garcia and Stephen Piscotty homered in the ninth.
St. Louis, swept in its opening three-game series at Pittsburgh, avoided its first 0-4 start since 1997.
Kevin Siegrist (1-0) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings before Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
The homer by Diaz into the left field seats came on the second pitch from left-hander Eric O'Flaherty (0-2).
The Braves scored four runs on five hits off Jaime Garcia in the third inning but didn't have another hit.
Wisler's leadoff single started the third inning that included consecutive run-scoring singles by Nick Markakis, Hector Olivera and Tyler Flowers.
Jaime Garcia pitched out of trouble after two errors by shortstop Jedd Gyorko - one throwing, one fielding - put runners on first and second with no outs in the first. Adonis Garcia hit into a double play to end the inning.
Jaime Garcia gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.
Wisler allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings.
MILESTONE FOR MOLINA
Yadier Molina passed Ted Simmons' team-record 1,439 games played at catcher. The milestone came less than one week after Molina also passed Simmons' Cardinals record for starts at catcher.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: Ender Inciarte left the game with tightness in his left hamstring after reaching on Gyorko's throwing error in the first inning. Inciarte's status is day to day. Drew Stubbs replaced Inciarte as a pinch-runner and in center field.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez will make his first start this season in Saturday night's game against the Braves. Martinez has made only one career start against Atlanta, allowing six hits in eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 Cardinals win on July 25, 2015.
Braves: RHP Julio Teheran will make his second start after receiving a no decision while allowing two runs in six innings against Washington. Teheran is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals, including six scoreless innings in a 2-0 win in the final regular season series last year.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cardinals-get-mlb-record-3-pinch-hit-hrs-beat-braves-7-4