Late run gives Cardinals 3-2 win over Dodgers in late night matchup

By MATT PIKE

Tied at one run a piece, the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers went back and forth in the late innings, but it was the Redbirds getting the pivotal ninth inning run on way to a 3-2 win at Dodger Stadium late Monday night. 

The Cardinals and Dodgers exchanged home runs in the early innings to have the game tied at 1-1.  In the second inning, Masyn Winn hit his eighth home run of the season to give St. Louis the lead, before Freddie Freeman tied things up in the fourth inning with a solo home run, his 13th of the season.

Sonny Gray earned a no decision despite pitching seven brilliant innings of baseball for the Cardinals.  Allowing just the one run and giving up just the one hit, walking one while striking out eight.  St. Louis took the lead in the eighth inning after Gray left the game, Iván Herrera hitting his 10th home run of the season.  But in the bottom half of the inning the Dodgers again tied up the game on a groundout by Andy Pages, scoring pinch runner Esteury Ruiz, who ran for Teoscar Hernández after his leadoff double. 

In the ninth inning, the Cardinals got the clutch run they needed to take the lead again.  Willson Contreras led the inning off with a single, and was pinch ran for by Garrett Hampson.  Hampson advanced to third base on a single by Lars Nootbaar.  With two outs, Yohel Pozo entered the game as a pinch hitter, and as he’s done a few times this season, delivered a clutch hit with an RBI single to drive in Hampson.  

In the bottom of the ninth, JoJo Romero came on for the save, giving up a single to Shohei Ohtani.  Nootbaar saved the game getting the first out of the inning, making a diving catch in right field for a flyout by Mookie Betts.  Romero struck out Freeman for the second out, but walked Will Smith putting two runners on base.  Romero earned his second save of the season though getting Max Muncy to line out to Nootbaar to end the game. 

Riley O’Brien, blew his first save of the season but also earned the win in relief, his first win of the season, pitching one inning and giving up one run on one hit.  At the plate, Herrera was 2-for-4 with the home run and an RBI.  Winn was 1-for-3 with a walk, the home run, and an RBI.  

St. Louis and Los Angeles continue on Tuesday.  Miles Mikolas (6-8, 4.83 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Emmet Sheehan (2-2, 3.60 ERA) for the Dodgers.  First pitch is at 9:10pm with coverage beginning around 9 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.