AP Sports Preview ATLANTA (Interstat) — The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at 7:20 p.m. at Truist Park in a pivotal four-game series rubber match, with rain and 83-degree temperatures forecast for first pitch. The Braves (49-34) hold a 5.5-game lead over the Cardinals (44-38) in the National League standings. Atlanta took Wednesday’s contest 2-1, while St. Louis won Tuesday’s series opener 5-3. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore is expected to start for St. Louis. He earned a win on June 30 against Atlanta, allowing one earned run on one hit with nine strikeouts over five innings. Liberatore has been inconsistent this month, posting a 2-2 record with a 8.69 ERA over five starts. In his four other June outings, he yielded 23 earned runs across 15 2/3 innings, including a rough June 18 appearance at Kansas City where he surrendered five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. For Atlanta, left-hander Dylan Dodd likely will work in relief. Dodd delivered a scoreless inning against St. Louis on June 30, striking out two. The lefty has been effective in short stints recently, allowing no earned runs in five of his last six appearances dating to June 14. His lone hiccup came June 24 at San Diego, where he gave up two earned runs in one-third of an inning. The Interstat game simulator projects a 4-3 Cardinals victory. Atlanta’s Martín Pérez started Tuesday’s loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits over five innings. Raisel Iglesias tossed a scoreless inning. St. Louis center fielder Nathan Church went 1 for 4 with a three-run homer in Tuesday’s win, while reliever Riley O’Brien worked a scoreless inning. Both teams face tight schedules ahead. St. Louis travels to Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs starting Friday, while Atlanta hosts the New York Mets for four games beginning Friday. The Cardinals will need a strong outing from Liberatore to split the series after dropping Wednesday’s low-scoring affair. Atlanta looks to build on its series lead before welcoming the Mets.