Sunday’s Game Report: Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1
By Rob Rains
The game was on the line, bottom of the ninth, Cardinals trailing 2-1 with a runner on first, one out, Nolan Arenado coming up to bat with Paul Goldschmidt on deck.
It was a moment that in seasons past might have turned out differently, but not in 2024.
In a microcosm of the Cardinals’ season, Arenado grounded into a double play that ended the Dodgers victory at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals have won only two games this season when they were losing going to the ninth inning, just part of the reason they fell back to two games under .500 with Sunday’s loss.
They are now 11 games behind the division-leading Brewers, who will be in St. Louis on Tuesday night to begin a three-game series.
Clayton Kershaw shut out the Cardinals for six innings before Lars Nootbaar hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth that pulled them within one run.
In the ninth, a throwing error by catcher Austin Barnes on a swinging bunt by Alec Burleson put the tying run on base and brought the winning run to the plate.
On a 2-2 pitch, Arenado grounded to short, a tailor-made double play.
Here is how Sunday’s games broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals’ only hits off 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, Pedro Pages and Victor Scott II opened the inning with singles but Masyn Winn flew out and Willson Contreras grounded into an inning-ending double play … Nootbaar hit the second pinch-hit home run of his career with one out in the eighth off Daniel Hudson.
On the mound: Sonny Gray matched zeros with Kershaw until the fifth, when Shohei Ohtani homered for the second game in a row and the Dodgers added another run on a walk and two singles … It was the 18th home run allowed by Gray this season … Gray has won only 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 keep the Dodgers from adding to their lead over the final four innings.
Key stat: This was the seventh time in 22 career starts against the Cardinals that Kershaw has thrown six or more innings and not allowed a run. It was his first victory in St. Louis since Sept. 13, 2018.
Worth noting: For Players’ Weekend, Jordan Walker was wearing a specially-designed pair of cleats that paid tribute to Charles Peterson, the area scout who signed Jordan in 2020. Peterson died from complications due to Covid a few months later … Nootbaar’s homer was the second by a Cardinals’ pinch-hitter this year and left them 9-of-73 this season … When Kershaw made his MLB debut in a start against the Cardinals on May 25, 2008, Masyn Winn and Walker were both six years old and Victor Scott II was seven … Michael Siani has resumed swinging a bat as he tries to recover from an oblique injury … Lance Lynn is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session before Tuesday night’s game.
Looking ahead: After Monday’s day off, the Cardinals will open the series against the Brewers on Tuesday night with Erick Fedde the scheduled starter. The Cardinals are 1-6 against the Brewers this season and have been outscored 42-16 in those games.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
