Thanks to a solid outing from Matthew Liberatore and big contributions at the plate from Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson, the St. Louis Cardinals kicked off their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a strong 7-2 triumph at home.
Matthew Liberatore has strong start in return to Cardinals’ rotation
After a quick 1-2-3 first inning from Liberatore, the Cardinals jumped on Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan right away. Ivan Herrera worked a one-out walk, and following a strikeout and a foul out, Jordan Walker delivered a sharp single to left. A throwing error by Will Smith advanced the runners, and Sheehan’s balk allowed Herrera to score for a 1-0 lead. Walker then came home when Nolan Gorman crushed a 3-2 pitch into the right-field seats, putting the Cardinals up 3-0 early.
Matthew Liberatore has strong start in return to Cardinals’ rotation
The Dodgers cut the gap in the second when Andy Pages singled and Max Muncy drove a ball to the gap in left-center, making it 3-1.
St. Louis added insurance in the third as Alec Burleson turned on a low-inside pitch and sent it over the right-field wall for a 4-1 advantage.
Liberatore worked efficiently through 5 2/3 innings. In the sixth, he ran into some trouble with a single and two walks loading the bases, but Kyle Tucker’s sacrifice fly trimmed the lead to 4-2. Manager Oli Marmol pulled him then, and George Soriano came on to limit further damage with a key flyout.
In the seventh, Masyn Winn showcased his Gold Glove defense with a spectacular 122-foot chase in foul territory, avoiding a near-collision. Soriano struck out Shohei Ohtani to close the inning cleanly.
The Cardinals padded their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Herrera singled and Burleson walked, setting up Walker to rip a two-strike breaking ball down the left-field line for a double that scored both runners and made it 6-2. Walker later scored on a chopper from Nathan Church that the Dodgers couldn’t convert into a double play, stretching the margin to 7-2.
Gordon Graceffo and Soriano each tossed scoreless relief innings, with Graceffo working out of a jam in the eighth. Matt Svanson closed it out smoothly in the ninth, retiring the side without issue despite a late single that brought Ohtani to the plate.
The Cardinals will hand the ball to Michael McGreevy for Saturday night’s matchup against the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. Central at Busch Stadium, with the game airing nationally on Fox.