Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar speaks with the media on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after the series finale vs. the Dodgers. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
When the Cardinals trailed the Dodgers by two runs in the eighth inning on Sunday at Busch Stadium, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol saw a chance to mix it up as his club looked for any offense.
With Dodgers righty Daniel Hudson entering from the bullpen, Marmol left the right-handed-hitting Jordan Walker in the game to take his at-bat. He planned to pinch-hit the left-handed-hitting Lars Nootbaar for right-handed-hitting catcher Pedro Pages, even if it meant having to sacrifice the designated hitter spot with fellow catcher Willson Contreras already in the lineup as his team’s DH.
Nootbaar’s pinch-hit at-bat resulted in a solo home run that gave the Cardinals their first run of the afternoon.
“Coming off the bench, you kind of have an idea of certain situations that can arise to get in that game,†Nootbaar said. “(Bench coach Daniel) Descalso does a good job of coming down and kind of letting us know ahead of time what could potentially happen. I didn’t know exactly which spot in that inning where I’d be hitting in, but I had an idea that I may come in in that inning.â€
The solo home run turned out to be the Cardinals’ only run in a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers.
“They didn’t have a lefty ready, so it’s your last shot to take that platoon advantage and see what happens,†Marmol said. “(Nootbaar) did his job and got us within one. We weren’t able to tack on another one.â€
Looking to earn a series win over the Dodgers after snapping a five-game losing streak on Saturday, the Cardinals (61-63) combined for six hits — five of which were singles — and did not have a base runner advance beyond second base.
A Cardinals lineup that has struggled to hit lefties in 2024 was held scoreless for six innings by longtime Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw surrendered four hits — all singles — with those coming from Brendan Donovan, Paul Goldschmidt, Victor Scott II and Pages. Behind the future Hall of Fame left-hander, the Dodgers received a scoreless inning of work from Evan Phillips, one inning from Hudson and a scoreless inning from Michael Kopech, who notched his 11th save of the season.
The Cardinals received five innings from starter Sonny Gray, who allowed two runs. Gray worked four scoreless innings to begin his outing before Shohei Ohtani homered with one out in the fifth inning. Miguel Rojas’ two-out single that same inning drove in Mookie Betts after Betts walked and advanced to third on a single from Gavin Lux.
“I didn’t want to give in to them,†said Gray, who struck out Teoscar Hernandez before allowing the single to Rojas. “I would like to get out of the fifth with only one (run allowed). I would have liked to — once I got to two outs — I would have liked to shut it down from there. Solo homers I am OK with. I’m not going to beat myself up over the walks. I just didn’t want to give in.â€
Heading into Sunday’s series finale, Cardinals hitters had put up a .232 batting average and a .657 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) against left-handed pitchers. They ranked in the bottom 10 in the majors in both categories.
The Cardinals starting lineup on Sunday featured seven right-handed bats, with five of those stacked atop the lineup. Following Kershaw’s departure from Sunday’s game, Marmol made his first move to bring a bat off the bench by replacing the right-handed-hitting Tommy Pham for the left-handed-hitting Alec Burleson to begin the bottom of the seventh inning.
Burleson entered Sunday with a .277 average and a .776 OPS following a 3-for-4 game Saturday that included a home run and two RBIs. But against left-handers this season, Burleson had produced a .203 average and a .516 OPS.
“Everyday guys prove to be everyday guys,†Marmol said of the platoon strategy. “There are some guys right now that — it’s the middle of August — that have shown that left on left has been tough and some righty at-bats have been tough, so we’ll do as best we can to match up. You look at someone like Burleson — it’s not that he doesn’t take good at-bats. He does a really nice job, and it’s not a swing thing. It’s more of an approach thing, which I do think is improving (in) left-on-left (matchups), so you want to give him opportunities for that as well.â€
Burleson went hitless in two at-bats after coming off the bench but reached first base during his second trip to the plate. In the ninth inning, he drilled a 2-1 pitch from Kopech into the ground just a few feet away from catcher Austin Barnes. Barnes’ throw to first base pulled Enrique Hernandez off the bag, allowing Burleson to reach base safely.
Burleson represented the game-tying run with Nolan Arenado due up. Arenado saw five pitches from Kopech — two of which he fouled off — and grounded into a game-ending double play that gave the Cardinal their sixth loss in their last seven games at a time when they’ve looked for ways they looked for ways to awaken its offense as they playoff chase continues.
“You’ve got to take your best shot,†Marmol added of the platoon approach. “It could look different every day.â€
The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the ninth inning of their loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.Â
Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar gestures to the dugout in celebration after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals outfielder Alex Burleson leaps in an effort to reach first base while Dodgers first baseman Enrique Hernandez is pulled off the bag to make the catch during the ninth inning of a game Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt slides into second base under a Dodger second baseman Gavin Lux’s throw to first for the double play Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Busch Stadium.