ST. LOUIS — Friday’s Game Report: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 0
Anytime more proof is needed that baseball is a game of inches, just pop in the tape of the Cardinals’ half of the sixth inning from Friday night’s game at Busch Stadium.
They trailed the Dodgers 1-0 when Paul Goldschmidt led off the inning with a smash headed for the top of the wall in right center – but James Outman timed his jump perfectly and caught the ball, robbing Goldschmidt of a game-tying home run.
Following a single by Nolan Gorman, Nolan Arenado hit a ball that looked like it was going into the left field corner – before landing about an inch outside the foul line. Arenado then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
So instead of tying the game or perhaps taking the lead, which might have altered their pitching strategy for the final three innings, the Cardinals still were down 1-0 – and the Dodgers went on to win the game after adding four runs in the eighth, three coming on a home run by Mookie Betts off Chris Stratton.
The loss was only the third for the Cardinals in their last 12 games.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: One night after hitting seven home runs and scoring 16 runs, the Cardinals were held to just two hits – a first-inning single by Arenado and the single by Gorman, which extended his hitting streak to 10 games … Goldschmidt drew three walks for the second consecutive game … Gorman struck out in his other three at-bats … The Cardinals had just four at-bats with a runner scoring position, going 0-of-4 … Their two hits were a season-low, and they were shut out for the fifth time in their 46 games.
On the mound: The only run allowed by starter Steven Matz in five innings was unearned because of a throwing error by Arenado in the fifth. A two-out walk and a balk moved Betts to third before he scored on a double by Chris Taylor … Andre Pallante stranded the two runners and worked a 1-2-3 sixth … Jordan Hicks pitched around a walk and a hit batter in the seventh but Stratton allowed a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the eighth before giving up the home run to Betts.
Key stat: Matz fell to 0-5 on the season in his nine starts. He has won only one of his last 14 starts, dating back to May 7 of last year.
Worth noting: After having to leave Thursday night’s game following an outfield collision with Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman was out of the starting lineup but did enter the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He likely will be in the lineup on Saturday night … Former Cardinal Shelby Miller, now with the Dodgers, worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning in his first Busch Stadium appearance in eight years … Goldschmidt took over the team lead with his seventh stolen base, extending the team’s streak to 20 consecutive successful steal attempts … Jordan Walker hit his second home run for Memphis on Friday night.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Saturday night in the third game of the series.
