Lance Lynn fires 6 2/3 strong innings as Cards edge Braves

Lance Lynn allowed one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the visiting Atlanta Braves 4-3 Monday.

Lynn (3-3) struck out five and walked none in his longest outing since April 16.

Ryan Helsley survived Atlanta's the ninth-inning comeback bid. He yielded two runs but still converted his 27th consecutive save, extending his team record.

The Cardinals have won four straight games and nine of their past 12.

Austin Riley homered for the Braves, who took just their third loss in the past 11 games.

Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach (1-3) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out six and didn't issue a walk.

Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia exited the game in the sixth inning due to dizziness.

The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Michael Siani singled with one out, took second base on a wild pitch and scored on Alec Burleson's two-out double. Burleson collected his eighth RBI in his past three games.

Willson Contreras, who returned after missing 40 games with a broken forearm, followed with an RBI single. After Nolan Gorman hit a single, Brendan Donovan lined a run-scoring single to run his RBI streak to seven games.

Gorman capped the rally by coming home as Donovan baited the Braves by getting into a rundown.

Riley cut Atlanta's deficit to 4-1 in the fifth inning while hitting his fifth homer in his past 10 games.

The Braves' Forrest Wall and Zack Short drew one-out walks in the eighth inning, then they executed a double steal. However, Ryan Fernandez struck out Jarred Kelenic and retired Ozzie Albies on a fly ball to the right-center-field wall.

The Braves then came up just short with their ninth-inning rally.

Marcel Ozuna walked, Matt Olson hit a single, and Sean Murphy drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Ramon Laureano hit an RBI single and pinch hitter Travis d'Arnaud followed with a sacrifice fly, but Short struck out to end the game.

--Field Level Media