For the first time in 2012, Kris Medlen has given up more than three runs in a game. So considering his Braves trailed the Cardinals 4-2 after six innings, Medlen probably took little solace in actually outlasting his opposite number, Kyle Lohse.

In the bottom of the sixth, Chipper Jones led off against Lohse and popped up. Freddie Freeman followed with a single, though, and after Dan Uggla drove a fly ball to the warning track in left field, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny had seen enough and summoned erstwhile starter Lance Lynn from the bullpen.

Lynn's first test was David Ross, whose second-inning homer had given the Braves an early lead. Ross made another bid, this time to tie the contest, but a retreating Carlos Beltran gathered in Ross's fly at the warning track in right-center field.

Meanwhile, Medlen came out for the top of the seventh. David Freese led off with an easy grounder to second, but Dan Uggla's throw was so wild ...

... that Freese wound up on second base, and moved to third a moment later on a sacrifice bunt. That, finally, got Medlen out of the game after 92 pitches. He gave up only three hits and zero walks, with two of those four runs unearned thanks to Chipper Jones' third-inning throwing error.

Oh, and make that another unearned run charged to Medlen. With Chad Durbin on the hill and the infield drawn in, Pete Kozma hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Andrelton Simmons. He made a nice stop but bobbled, then threw home wildly; even a good throw would have been too late, but the wild throw let Kozma motor all the way to second base.

That brought in left-hander Jonny Venters to face lefty-hitting pinch hitter Matt Carpenter, and things just got worse for the Braves. Carpenter hit a soft grounder between Venters and first baseman Freddie Freeman, neither were sure who should make the play, and Carpenter just eluded the tag after Venters finally picked up the ball ... while Kozma was sprinting home all the way from second base!

The ugliness finally ended when Jon Jay grounded into a double play. It's 6-2 Cardinals, heading to the bottom of the seventh.