LOS ANGELES — The challenge for the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas on opening day was the same as it is going to be for any starting pitcher facing the Dodgers this season: How to keep their top three hitters off base.
Mikolas and the Cardinals couldn’t do it on Thursday as they lost to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
The top three hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup – former MVPs Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman – reached base a combined nine times and scored six runs, with much of the damage coming against Mikolas.
Mikolas allowed one run in the first before giving up home runs to Betts and Freeman in the third, staking the Dodgers to an early 5-0 lead.
Betts, Ohtani and Freeman combined to go 5-of-8 with four RBIs, three coming from Freeman. In 12 games against the Cardinals since the start of the 2022 season, Freeman has gone 23-of-45, a .511 average, with 11 RBIs.
The Cardinals were held to just three hits, all by Paul Goldschmidt, including his first opening day home run since 2012.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: After finishing spring training with just six hits in 47 at-bats, Goldschmidt singled in the first inning, homered in the fourth and after striking out in the sixth, singled again in the ninth … The rest of the Cardinals lineup was held hitless in 27 at-bats … The Cardinals had only two other baserunners, Willson Contreras reaching on a walk in the fourth, and Victor Scott II, making his MLB debut, on an error by Betts in the fifth. Scott proceeded to steal second, and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first Cardinal to steal a base in his major-league debut on opening day since 1900.
On the mound: Mikolas pitched into the fifth inning, giving up the five runs on seven hits and two walks. He also struck out five, throwing 74 pitches. The fourth through ninth hitters in the LA lineup were a combined 2-of-11 off Mikolas … Andre Pallante and Riley O’Brien, in his Cardinals’ debut, each allowed another run … Three of the four LA batters who drew a walk in the game came around to score … Matthew Liberatore retired the Dodgers in order in the eighth.
Key stat: The Cardinals were held to three hits or less on opening day for the first time since 1986, when they got only two hits but beat the Cubs 2-1.
Worth noting: The last team to have three former MVPs hitting in the top three spots in the lineup were the 1983 Phillies with a top trio of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt … Scott became the ninth different player to start in center field for the Cardinals in the last 11 years and was the first Cardinal to start there and make his major-league debut on opening day since Bobby Smith in 1957 … Scott is one of five rookies on the Cardinals roster and one of eight players on an opening day roster for the first time in their careers … The Cardinals have lost their last six games in Los Angeles, dating back to 2022, and have been outscored 31-10 in those games.
Looking ahead: Zack Thompson will get the start on Friday night in the second game of the four-game series. The game will be televised exclusively on Apple TV with the radio broadcast available on KMOX Radio and the Cardinals Radio Network.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
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