Kyle Gibson's command falters as Cardinals lose to Braves, 6-2, in Game 1 of doubleheader

Gibson needed 25 pitches to get out of the fourth inning. He retired the first two batters he faced before loading the bases by issuing two walks and allowing a single to the next three batters he faced. The 36-year-old escaped trouble with a swinging strikeout of Marcel Ozuna to leave the bases loaded.

The deficit closes, then widens again

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second inning, Matt Carpenter provided the Cardinals with their first run of the afternoon. Carpenter lifted a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly that allowed Paul Goldschmidt to score after Goldschmidt doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third after Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman drew walks.

Alec Burleson drove home St. Louis’s second run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth that allowed Carpenter to score from third after he singled to begin the inning.

An inning later, Kyle Leahy, who came in to relieve Gibson, allowed a two-run home run to Jarred Kelenic that put the Cardinals back into a four-run deficit after Carpenter’s and Burleson’s RBI had cut it in half.

Arenado’s return to the lineup

In his return to the Cardinals' starting lineup, Nolan Arenado went 1 for 4 and played all nine innings at third base. The start was Arenado’s first since Saturday. The third baseman has been battling left forearm and right elbow injuries.

Arenado’s lone hit was a line drive single to left field in the fourth inning.

While positioned on the infield dirt and even with the third base bag in the fourth inning, Arenado made a backhanded stop on a groundball that came off Laureano’s bat at 84.4 mph, per Statcast, and threw out Laureano at first base.