ST. LOUIS (AP) - Jaime Garcia pitched eight scoreless innings and had an RBI single to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 1-0 victory against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
Garcia (8-8) struck out 11 as he topped the 100-strikeout mark for the third time in his career.
He pitched out of a two-on, no out jam in the fourth, striking out Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp before getting Adonis Garcia to ground out. Freeman and Kemp, the Braves' Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, were a combined 0-for-6 against Jaime Garcia with five strikeouts.
Garcia's two-out single in the second drove in Matt Holiday for the pitcher's fourth RBI this season.
Garcia needed just 89 pitches to get through eight innings, facing three batters above the minimum. Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his ninth save.
Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-4) gave up the run and two hits with five walks in 51/3 innings.
Garcia's effort aided a taxed Cardinals bullpen. Prior to his start, five of the last six St. Louis starters failed to pitch into the sixth inning.
The Cardinals have won six of their last eight games at home to improve to 26-30 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has won all four games this season against the Braves.
Atlanta's Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 16 games by leading the game off with a single.
Atlanta has lost eight of its last 11 games at St. Louis.
Notes: Braves 3B Adonis Garcia tumbled into the camera well next to the Atlanta dugout to make an acrobatic catch on Brandon Moss' pop foul in the bottom of the third inning. Cardinals All-Star INF Matt Carpenter returned from the disabled list after missing 24 games with a right oblique strain. LHP Dean Kiekhefer was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Braves RHP Julio Teheran (right lat strain) will play catch today, but there is no timetable for his return. Cardinals LHP Tyler Lyons (knee) will miss at least a month, general manager John Mozeliak said. Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) leads all N.L. pitchers with a career-high 24 double plays induced. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 162/3 career innings against the Braves going into tonight's start.