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LOS ANGELES — Brendan Donovan was close enough to hear the baseball Teoscar Hernandez crushed collide with the unpadded plateau that sits atop Dodger Stadium's left center field wall.

The sound, the Cardinals' do-everything defensive player knew as soon as he heard it, meant the ball wasn’t in his outstretched glove.

A two-run Dodgers lead built on home runs had just become a five-run Cardinals deficit, thanks to Hernandez’s second homer in what became Friday night's 6-3 loss.

Replay showed Donovan was a lot closer than watching it live suggested. What would have been a sensational defensive play from a Cardinals player was overshadowed instead by the Dodgers’ remarkable power. That's been a theme through these first two games.

After spending an offseason talking about recommitting to stellar defensive play, the Cardinals through two losses here have shown real and encouraging signs they can and they will.

"We placed such a huge emphasis on it," Donovan said.

Actions are backing the talk.

The signs?

They include a sharp throw from Jordan Walker in game one that got Shohei Ohtani out via rundown after Ohtani doubled. Shortstop Masyn Winn already has made stops and throws of both standard and spectacular variety, including as pretty of a double play turned with Nolan Gorman that you will see this season. Center fielder Victor Scott II has not just his first steal beneath his belt, but his first diving headfirst catch, one that covered up an initial misread off the bat and robbed Freeman of a hit. The only decent example of a play not made that doesn’t fit into what looks to be follow-through on the team’s intent to shape its defense back into a collective strength is an uncharacteristic non-play from third baseman Nolan Arenado in game two; it’s probably safe to assume the 10-time Gold Glove award winner doesn’t have too many of those.

In games not defined by the opponent bludgeoning home runs, these kind of plays can swing and win games. But as Donovan was reminded, even a well-timed jump and a big stretch aren’t great matches for balls destined to leave the venue. Cardinals pitchers, specifically the starters, have to give this defense a chance.

The Dodgers’ six home runs against the Cardinals are the most a Cardinals team has ever allowed through the first two games of the season. All six of the Dodgers’ runs in Friday’s game were scored via homer. On Thursday the Cardinals trailed by two before homers from Mookie Betts and Freeman against game-one starter Miles Mikolas created a five-run hole.

“Every hard hit we have given up so far has left the yard, which is tough,” manager Oli Marmol said Friday night. “I don’t think that will continue."

Playing teams other than the Dodgers should help. Optimism! (Ducks.)

If this Cardinals defense that has been on display at Dodger Stadium was happening against a team not named the Dodgers, I think this Cardinals defense would be a bigger story right now. It was so uncharacteristically off last season. It looks so much better now. I'm not searching for a silver lining. I think it's an important early development.

(Besides, I'm not sure how many times I can write how far the Cardinals are behind these Dodgers before I'm accused of just rewriting the previous day's column. Folks, in case you missed it, these Dodgers are far, far ahead of these Cardinals. Be glad the Cardinals do not play in the potent National League West. It would be rough.)

Marmol stirred some baseball debate in game one, when he opted to play his infield in with one out and Mookie Betts on third base after that Walker throw created the run-down out of Ohtani.

Freddie Freeman singled up the middle to beat the aggressive move and scored the series' first run.

The manager's decision, hinted at in how the Cardinals aligned during spring training, was mostly panned because of the outcome.

The intent behind it had a little to do with facing stingy Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow, but more to do with Marmol wanting to live by the team's defensive mission statement.

“We have to play good defense," he said.

And he wants to lean into that defense, to lead with that defense. If I was reaching for a corny reference to MLB's Ohtani investigation, I would say the manager is willing and even eager to bet big on his defense.

If Ohtani running himself into an out had been followed up with Betts being thrown out at the plate? A statement would have been made.

It didn't happen and Dodgers homers overshadowed it all anyway, but still there are are signs this defense is back to being a strength and back to being something the Cardinals can and should emphasize.

Keep it sharp and cut down on the hits the defense can’t reach, and it will start winning some games. Just maybe not against these Dodgers.