Sunday’s match report: Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1
By Rob Rains
The game was on the line, bottom of the ninth inning, Cardinals down 2-1, a runner on first base, one out, Nolan Arenado came to bat, and Paul Goldschmidt was on.
It was a moment that might have turned out differently in past seasons, but not in 2024.
In a microcosm of the Cardinals’ season, Arenado hit a double play that capped the Dodgers’ victory at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals have won just two games this season in which they trailed until the ninth inning, which is just one of the reasons Sunday’s loss dropped them back to two games under .500.
They now sit 11 games behind the division-leading Brewers, who will be in St. Louis on Tuesday night to begin a three-game series.
Clayton Kershaw held the Cardinals scoreless for six innings before Lars Nootbaar pinch-hit a home run in the eighth inning that brought them within one run.
In the ninth inning, a throwing error by catcher Austin Barnes on a swinging bunt by Alec Burleson brought the tying point to the base and the winning point to the plate.
On a 2-2 pitch, Arenado hit a ground ball to shortstop, a tailor-made double play.
This is how Sunday’s games were distributed:
On the plate: The Cardinals’ only hits against Kershaw in the first five innings were a two-out single by Brendan Donovan in the second and a one-out single by Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth… In the sixth inning, Pedro Pages and Victor Scott II opened the inning with singles, but Masyn Winn flew out and Willson Contreras got an inning-ending double play… Nootbaar hit the second pinch-hit home run of his career with one out in the eighth inning against Daniel Hudson.
On the hill: Sonny Gray was tied with Kershaw until the fifth inning, when Shohei Ohtani hit a home run for the second consecutive game and the Dodgers added another run with a walk and two singles … It was the 18thth Home run allowed by Gray this season … Gray has won just one of his last five starts and the Cardinals are 1-4 in those games … Shawn Armstrong, Matthew Liberatore, Ryan Fernandez and John King combined to prevent the Dodgers from extending their lead over the final four innings.
Important statistics: This was the seventh time in 22 career starts against the Cardinals that Kershaw threw six or more innings and did not allow a run. It was his first win in St. Louis since Sept. 13, 2018.
Noteworthy: At Players’ Weekend, Jordan Walker wore a specially designed pair of cleats in honor of Charles Peterson, the area scout who signed Jordan in 2020. Peterson died a few months later from complications from Covid … Nootbaar’s home run was the second by a Cardinals pinch hitter that year, and he gave them 9 of 73 home runs this season … When Kershaw made his MLB debut in a start against the Cardinals on May 25, 2008, Masyn Winn and Walker were both 6 years old and Victor Scott II was 7 … Michael Siani has started swinging the bat again as he tries to recover from an oblique abdominal muscle injury … Lance Lynn is scheduled to lead a live batting practice session before Tuesday night’s game.
Outlook: After Monday off, the Cardinals will open the series on Tuesday night against the Brewers, with Erick Fedde slated to start. The Cardinals have a 1-6 record against the Brewers this season and have been outscored 42-16 in those games.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
