Friday’s Game Report: Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2
By Rob Rains
As he sat in his office before Friday night’s game, Cardinals’ manager Oli Marmol knew what was ahead of his team, facing the defending world champions in a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
“It’s a really good challenge for our young group,” Marmol said.
At least in the opening game, the Cardinals aced the test.
Jordan Walker went 4-of-4, drove in two runs and scored twice to lead the Cardinals to their fifth consecutive win. He became the first Cardinal with a four-hit game against the Dodgers since Jose Martinez in 2019.
The Cardinals also got home runs from Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson in helping starter Matthew Liberatore pick up his first victory of the season.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Walker singled and scored on Gorman’s homer in a three-run first inning, when the Cardinals also took advantage of a throwing error and balk to score their other run … Burleson’s homer in the third increased the lead to 4-1 … Walker also singled in the third and doubled in the fifth before capping his big night with a two-run double in a three-run seventh. The hit drove in the first two runs of the inning before Walker scored on a groundout by Nathan Church … JJ Wetherholt was hitless in four at-bats, ending his six-game streak with at least one extra-base hit … The five-run margin allowed the Cardinals to move into a positive run differential for the season, scoring 162 runs while allowing 160.
On the mound: Liberatore earned his first win in his seventh start by allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He scattered five hits, walked two and struck out four. He made his biggest pitch of the game to retire Kyle Tucker on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the sixth … Relievers George Soriano, Gordon Graceffo and Matt Svanson protected the lead and the four pitchers combined to hold Shohei Ohtani hitless in five at-bats.
Key stat: The two homers increased the Cardinals total for the season to 43 through their first 32 games. It’s the third highest total in the NL, two behind the Dodgers and Braves. They have hit at least one home run in their last seven games and have homered at least once in 23 of their 32 games. The total is the most homers in the first 32 games of the season since they hit 44 in 2016.
Worth noting: Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in September. They were selected in a fan vote, with the results announced before Friday night’s game. Bill Sherdel, a pitcher on the Cardinals first World Series champion team in 1926, is the third member of this year’s class. The induction ceremony will be on Sept. 12, and it will be moved from Ballpark Village inside Busch Stadium and will take place prior to that day’s game against the White Sox … With the Cardinals not needing a spot starter for at least a week, Thursday starter Hunter Dobbins was optioned to Memphis on Friday. Lefthander Jared Shuster rejoins the Cardinals, who opened a roster spot by designating Luis Peralta for assignment.
Up next: Michael McGreevy will get the start on Saturday night in the second game of the series. The game will be televised by Fox.
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