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Eli White belted a three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Wednesday to win the rubber game of their three-game series.

White connected on a slider from reliever Ryan Fernandez for his first homer of the season, a shot that went 434 feet into the left field stands. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies had opened the inning with singles.

The Braves have won five of their last six. St. Louis has lost six of its last seven.

The winning pitcher was Daysbel Hernandez (3-0), who struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth inning and worked around a single in the ninth to finish the game. He struck out two in 1 1/3 innings.

The losing pitcher was reliever JoJo Romero (1-3), who allowed two runs on two hits.

It was the best start of the season for both starters, although neither received a decision. St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas pitched a season-long six innings, did not surrender a run, allowed six hits, walked two and struck out two. Atlanta’s Bryce Elder threw six innings and allowed a season-low one run on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

The Cardinals jumped on Elder for two walks and two hits in the first inning, including an RBI double by Nolan Arenado.

The Braves had runners on the corners in the first and third and failed to score. Nick Allen was picked off in the third inning to end that threat.

But Allen atoned for the mistake in the seventh inning when he doubled off reliever John King and scored when Michael Harris II looped a single to right.

St. Louis second baseman Brendan Donovan missed his second straight game with a strained rib.

Both teams are off on Thursday and open three-game series on Friday — St. Louis at home against Milwaukee, Atlanta on the road against Arizona.

–Field Level Media