Monday’s Game Report: Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals had plenty of choices if they were trying to pick a star of the game on Monday night.
There was starter Sonny Gray, who allowed just one hit over seven innings. There was Yohel Pozo, who once again came off the bench and delivered the go-ahead pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, there was Lars Nootbaar with a diving, potential game-saving catch in right field. And finally, the team’s new closer, JoJo Romero, got the final outs in the pulsating win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles, stranding two runners on base.
The list of stars didn’t even include the two players who provided the Cardinals’ first two runs, which came on home runs from Masyn Winn and Ivan Herrera.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Winn homered with one out in the second to put the Cardinals in front but they were held without a hit after the third inning until Herrera’s 10th homer of the year with two outs in the eighth gave them a 2-1 lead … Five of Herrera’s 10 home runs have come in the eighth inning … After the Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the inning, Willson Contreras and Nootbaar opened the ninth with singles and with two outs, Pozo hit for Pedro Pages and delivered the go-ahead run with a single to right. It was the Cardinals only hit in eight at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: After a tough stretch in July, Gray turned in one of his best starts of the year. The only hit he allowed in his seven innings was a home run by Freddie Freeman in the fourth. Gray walked one and struck out eight … The Dodgers tied the game in the eighth off Riley O’Brien when Teoscar Hernandez led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a pair of groundouts … Shohei Ohtani led off the ninth against Romero with a single before Nootbaar robbed Mookie Betts of a hit. Romero struck out Freeman and walked Will Smith before getting Max Muncy to line out to right to end the game.
Key stat: Pozo is now 6-of-12 as a pinch-hitter this season with seven RBIs. Combined, the rest of the Cardinals have nine pinch-hits this season in 36 at-bats. Pozo is tied for the second most pinch-hits in the majors this season. Brandon Marsh of the Phillies is the only player with more pinch-hits with seven.
Worth noting: Luken Baker’s time with the Cardinals came to an end on Monday when he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Dodgers, who optioned him to Oklahoma City … Baker, the career home run leader for Memphis, had 10 home runs at Memphis this season and 96 in his career but was only hitting .196. He hit four major-league homers for the Cardinals in 73 career games … The move came so the Cardinals can play newly acquired Blaze Jordan at first base in Memphis … Left-handed reliever Anthony Veneziano was claimed off waivers from the Marlins and assigned to Memphis … Former Cardinal Tommy Edman will miss this series after going on the injured list on Monday because of a sprained ankle.
Up next: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.
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