Tuesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 13, Dodgers 8
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals have been playing games at Dodger Stadium since 1962 – but rarely have they enjoyed one like they had on Tuesday night.
Thomas Saggese hit two of the team’s five home runs and the Cardinals’ 13 runs were the most they have ever scored in the stadium en route to the win in the opener of their three-game series in Los Angeles.
Eight of their nine starters had at least one RBI – and the only one who failed to drive in a run was the player who leads the team in RBIs with 100 this season, Alec Burleson.
Jordan Walker hit one of the homers, his 28th of the season, and his two RBIs increased his season total to 99. Leo Bernal, making his major-league debut, joined in on the fun with a two-run single, coming in his second at-bat.
The other homers came from Ramon Urias and Joshua Baez.
The only other game when the Cardinals hit five home runs at Dodger Stadium was on Sept. 22, 2023.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Urias and Saggese hit back-to-back homers in the second to start the big offensive night for the Cardinals … They increased the lead to 7-0 with a five-run third, which did not include any of their five home runs. Bernal’s two-run single came in the inning, which also featured a sacrifice fly from Saggese … Saggese, who only had four career homers coming into the game, hit his second and earned his third RBI in the fifth … The other RBIs came from Jose Fermin, Ivan Herrera and Nathan Church … Walker also had a single and double for a three-hit night while Herrera reached base three times on two singles and a walk.
On the mound: Michael McGreevy started and worked five innings, allowing four runs, three of which scored on a bloop double to short right field by Mookie Bett in the third when Walker and Fermin ran into each other … Justin Bruihl allowed one run and the Dodgers final three runs came in the ninth off Cade Winquest but two of those runs were unearned because of an error by Fermin.
Key stat: The Cardinals had scored a stadium-high 12 runs three times against the Dodgers since they moved into Dodger Stadium in 1962, the most recent time coming in 1999.
Worth noting: In addition to promoting Bernal from Memphis, the Cardinals also recalled outfielder Victor Scott II and selected the contract of righthanded reliever Hancel Rincon as rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players for the month of September. They also optioned catcher Jimmy Crooks to the Triple A team … Trevor Condon, the Cardinals’ first pick in this year’s amateur draft, hit his first career home run on Tuesday night for class A Palm Beach.
Up next: The Cardinals will go with another bullpen game on Wednesday night in the second game of the series.
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