KISSIMMEE, Fla., March 17 (UPI) -- Adam LaRoche drove in Bill McCarthy with a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday to lift the Atlanta Braves to an 8-7 victory over a split squad of St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals tied the contest in the top of the ninth on run-scoring singles by Mike Peeples and Yadier Molina.
But McCarthy led off the bottom of the frame with a single, advanced to second base on Wilson Betemit's sacrifice and scored on LaRoche's slicing drive down the left field line.
Braves center fielder Andruw Jones drove in two runs in his only two at-bats. He is batting .500 (14-of-28) with 11 RBI this spring.
Julio Franco went 3-for-3 and drove in a run for Atlanta, while Donzell McDonald and Jesse Garcia each collected two hits and an RBI.
Mike Hampton started for the Braves, giving up four runs and seven hits. Jason Marquis allowed three runs and five hits in four innings but picked up the win.
Miguel Cairo had a run-scoring single in the fifth and scored three runs for St. Louis. Tino Martinez added two hits and an RBI.
Cardinals starter Cal Eldred, who has been sidelined for most of the last two seasons due to elbow injuries, surrendered six runs and nine hits in three innings.
