Sunday’s Game Report: Dodgers 7, Cardinals 3
By Rob Rains
Michael McGreevy was only seven years old when Clayton Kershaw made his major-league debut, against the Cardinals, on May 25, 2008 so it isn’t surprising he has no recollection of that game.
He will remember Sunday’s game – although he wishes it would have produced a happier memory.
Matched up against the future Hall of Famer for the series finale against the Dodgers at Busch Stadium, McGreevy allowed four runs over six innings and suffered the first loss of his major-league career.
“I grew up watching Kershaw beat the Padres a lot because I grew up a Padres fan,” McGreevy said, a southern California native. “It was super cool to go up against him. My dad was geeking out more than I was.”
Summoned from Triple A Memphis to make his first start and second appearance this season for the Cardinals, McGreevy was greeted by Shohei Ohtani’s double on the first pitch of the game – but recovered to keep him there by retiring the next three hitters.
McGreevy wasn’t as lucky in the second inning, when Tommy Edman singled in a run and Hyeseong Kim followed with a two-run triple. Edman drove in another run off McGreevy with a fourth-inning double.
That was all of the runs Kershaw and the Dodgers bullpen needed. Kershaw, making his 23rd career regular-season start against the Cardinals and 11th at Busch Stadium, allowed just one run over his five innings of work, recording seven strikeouts to pick up the victory.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals chipped into the Dodgers’ early 4-0 lead with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Masyn Winn’s double drove in the first run, before a sacrifice fly from Alec Burleson and a single by Willson Contreras accounted for the other two runs … Burleson had two hits off the lefthanded Kershaw and Brendan Donovan, Contreras and Ivan Herrera also had two-hit days … Lars Nootbaar was 0-of-5 and struck out three times, leaving him 1-of-12 in the series … Ryan Vilade’s single in the ninth inning snapped an 0-of-30 streak in the majors that dated back to last year with the Tigers. He had been 0-of-10 this season.
On the mound: McGreevy scattered eight hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five … The Dodgers added to their lead with a home run by Mookie Betts in the seventh off John King and scored their final two runs in the eighth off Matt Svanson before he got out of a bases-loaded jam.
Key stat: Ohtani was 3-of-12 in the series. He has hit two career homers at Busch Stadium, both last season, in 36 at-bats. Freddie Freeman was even quieter in the series, getting just one hit in 13 at-bats.
Worth noting: The Dodgers had been 1-of-29 with a runner in scoring position in the series prior to Edman’s second-inning single … They finished the series with four hits in 39 at-bats with a man on second or third … Victor Scott II got the day off. He has one hit in his last 29 at-bats and dating back to May 12 is 9-of-64, a .141 average … Jordan Walker, on the injured list with inflammation in his left wrist, is expected to begin a rehab assignment in the minors this week, possibly beginning as early as Tuesday … To make room for McGreevy on the roster, reliever Roddery Munoz was optioned to Memphis.
Up next: The homestand continues on Monday night with the first of three games against the Blue Jays. Andre Pallante is the scheduled starter.
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