Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson began a rehab stint with Triple-A Memphis on Sunday. He did not allow a hit over one inning. Gregerson was placed on the 10-day disabled list with shoulder impingement on May 16. UP NEXT Braves RHP Anibal Sanchez (3-2 [url=http://ww

FLOWERY BRANCH Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , Ga. (AP) — Scott Pioli stepped down Thursday after more than five years as assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, the latest front-office change for a team coming off a disappointing season.“I am ready for a change,” he said in a statement released by the team.Pioli said he had intended to spend only two or three years working under Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. He thanked the team for giving him a chance to carry on his career after he was fired as Kansas City’s general manager following a dismal 2-14 season in 2012.“I came in to work closely with Thomas on personnel structure, processes and decisions,” Pioli said. “I loved the concept, was confident I could provide value and have enjoyed the challenge.”Now, he’s ready “to pursue other potential opportunities.” His departure comes one day after Mike Maccagnan was fired as general manager of the New York Jets, a team that Pioli worked for as director of pro personnel from 1997-2000.Dimitroff described the 54-year-old Pioli as a “dear friend” who has “not only provided tremendous value to me, but to the entire the Falcons organization.”Pioli departs the Falcons following a 7-9 season and shake-up in the front office.Longtime scout Shepley Heard has taken over as director of pro personnel from Joel Collier Kaleb McGary Jersey , who is now serving as a national scout. Collier spent the last three years as Atlanta’s director of pro personnel. Before that, he worked under Pioli in Kansas City as the assistant GM.Dimitroff indicated that more changes are coming for a team that made the Super Bowl during the 2016 season.“We are continuing to assess the structure within our organization and move forward with our next steps,” he said.Pioli was Kansas City’s GM from 2009-12. Prior to that, he worked for nearly a decade with Bill Belichick in New England’s personnel department.The Chiefs won the AFC West title in 2010 — their only playoff appearance during Pioli’s tenure — but his regime was marred by allegations that he maintained a toxic work environment based on secrecy and intimidation, including suspicions expressed by coach Todd Haley that his personal cellphone had been tampered with before he was fired.Late in the 2012 season, Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend before taking his own life at the team’s training facility in front of Pioli and other team officials. Mike Foltynewicz loves trying to one-up his fellow hurlers in the Atlanta Braves red-hot pitching rotation.

He kept even with cohorts by tossing five shutout innings and Freddie Freeman homered as the Atlanta Braves held off the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Sunday.

”It’s like a friendly competition with a fun group of guys,” Foltynewicz said. ”It’s a good vibe.”

The Braves outscored St. Louis 22-10 in sweeping a three-game series in St. Louis for the first time since May 11-13, 2012.

Tommy Pham homered for St. Louis, which has lost four in a row. The Cardinals scored five times in the seventh to rally from a 6-0 deficit.

Foltynewicz matched Julio Teheran and Max Fried to post the Braves third successive scoreless appearance by a starter. Teheran tossed six scoreless innings a 5-1 win on Friday. Fried did not allow a run in 6 2-3 innings of an 11-4 victory on Saturday.

”They’ve been awesome Kendall Sheffield Jersey ,” said Atlanta infielder Charlie Culberson, who had two hits and drove in two runs on Sunday, ”It makes it easier for us (hitters). A little bit more relaxed for us going up there.”

Foltynewicz (6-4) surrendered one hit – a fourth-inning single to Marcell Ozuna. He struck out nine and walked three in an 86-pitch outing.

”He never gave in, he kept grinding,” manager Brian Snitker said.

Foltynewicz has allowed just two hits and one run over 10 innings in two outings since coming off the disabled list with tightness in his right tricepts on June 25.

”He was kind of wildly effective,” St. Louis infielder Kolten Wong said. ”When you’re throwing as hard as he was, it makes it tough.”

The Braves three starters allowed seven hits over 17 2-3 innings with 24 strikeouts in the series.

”We’ve been feeding off each other,” Foltynewicz said. ”We’re always pulling for each other, pushing each other John Cominsky Jersey , asking questions. We hang around together and you can see that we take it out to the mound. It’s been a really fun time.”

A.J. Minter picked up his third save in as many tries by setting the side down in order in the ninth. He has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances.

Freeman’s 16th homer of the season, a two-run drive, pushed the lead to 3-0 in sixth. The blow highlighted a five-run uprising that also included a run-scoring hit from Culberson.

Pham hit a three-run homer off Peter Moylan in the seventh to bring the Cardinals to within 6-5.

St. Louis starter John Gant (2-3) allowed four runs on four hits over 5 1-3 innings.

”I’ve definitely got to do better,” Gant said. ”Came out on the losing end, so anytime that happens, improvements need to be made.”

Francisco Pena had a two-run single in the seventh for St. Louis, which will play 17 of its next 20 games on the road.

The Braves have been in first place or tied for first in 60 of the last 62 days. They kicked off their 10-game road trip in style.

”To come out and win the first three games, that’s really nice,” Culberson said. ”But this series is done. We took care of business. Time to move on.”

Atlanta infielder Ozzie Albies extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a sixth-inning single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: C Tyler Flowers returned to the starting lineup after missing Saturday’s game. He suffered a muscle cramp in the sixth inning of Friday’s 5-1 win.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson began a rehab stint with Triple-A Memphis on Sunday. He did not allow a hit over one inning. Gregerson was placed on the 10-day disabled list with shoulder impingement on May 16.

UP NEXT

Braves RHP Anibal Sanchez (3-2 Qadree Ollison Jersey , 2.68) will face RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (2-0, 1.93) in the first of a three-game series against the Yankees in New York. Sanchez is 4-1 in six lifetime starts against the Yankees.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (4-4, 3.22) takes on Arizona LHP Robbie Ray (3-0, 4.01) in the opener of a three-game series in Arizona that kicks off a nine-game road trip. Martinez is 2-0 in three starts at Chase Field.