Banged-up Cards, slumping Braves face off

With multiple players battling injuries, the St. Louis Cardinals are looking forward to the All-Star break.

But first they must finish their six-game homestand, which will continue Friday night in the opener of a weekend series with the Atlanta Braves.

"We need to continue to just have our head down, play as hard as we can, play the game the right way until we get to the All-Star break," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol noted during this stretch. "Guys are focused on going as hard as possible until we get this break.

"This is part of it," Marmol said. "You're going to be banged up, you're going to be hurt, you're going to not feel great. Every team experiences that, so you have to be mentally tough enough to get to where you get more than one day (off)."

Key right-handed batter Ivan Herrera (left hamstring strain) won't come off the injured list until after the break. Third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder impingement) and Lars Nootbaar (rib-cage soreness) are among those playing through physical issues.

Nootbaar exited Thursday night's 8-1 victory over the Washington Nationals to get extra rest, but Marmol said he expects him back in the lineup Friday.

The Cardinals will open this series with left-hander Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA), who has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four starts. He has worked 24 innings during that span, yielding six runs on 18 hits and 10 walks.

He walked four batters in five innings during his last start, a game the Cardinals won 8-6 over the host Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

Liberatore has thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings against the Braves in three career appearances, including two starts. He has allowed just five hits and four walks in those outings.

The Braves have lost six of their past seven games and 11 of 14 entering this series.

They flew to St. Louis after falling to the Athletics 5-4 in 11 innings Thursday night in West Sacramento, Calif. After playing the Cardinals on Friday night, the Braves must turn around and play a Saturday afternoon game.

Atlanta will open the series with Grant Holmes (4-8, 3.44 ERA), who has allowed just four runs in 22 2/3 innings in his last four starts. The right-hander had to shrug off a tough-luck 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in his last outing on Sunday.

"It's baseball," Holmes said. "You never really know what's going to happen. Unfortunately, we've come out on the wrong side of it."

Holmes is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in five innings over two career outings against the Cardinals.

Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. missed one game with lower back stiffness but returned to action Wednesday by hitting two home runs before going 0-for-5 on Thursday. He said he is looking forward to participating in the Home Run Derby and playing in the All-Star Game next week in his home ballpark in Atlanta.

Acuna is trying to make sure the back issue doesn't derail him.

"I felt good, and we hope to continue doing treatment every day," Acuna said through an interpreter after returning to action. "Thankfully, right now I don't feel anything, but you just can't take these things for granted. It always helps to be cautious."