McGreevy Leads Cardinals to Sixth Straight 3-2 Win; Dodgers Slump

The article dives into a nail-biter where the St. Louis Cardinals squeezed past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2. Michael McGreevy tossed six strong innings, and Jordan Walker’s big homer made the difference, stretching the Cardinals’ win streak.

It also points out the Dodgers’ ongoing power slump and their late ninth-inning push that just didn’t quite get there. The game had its share of strategy, drama, and a few milestones along the way.

Game recap

The Cardinals jumped ahead early. Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson ripped back-to-back doubles, and then Jordan Walker launched a 372-foot solo shot in the third inning.

Walker’s 10th homer of the year capped a red-hot stretch—he’d notched a hit in seven straight plate appearances. He’s quickly turning into a real focal point for St. Louis’s offense.

McGreevy (2-2) handled six scoreless innings, thanks in part to four double plays in the first five frames. Those timely outs helped him dodge trouble and keep the Dodgers quiet.

He scattered three singles and three walks, with three strikeouts. Honestly, it was just enough to hold off a Dodgers lineup that’s been hunting for power but coming up empty lately.

Los Angeles sent out Roki Sasaki, who battled through six innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He threw a career-high 104 pitches, retired his last 10 batters, and struck out four with two walks.

Still, the Dodgers couldn’t find an extra-base hit. That’s five straight games without a homer—their longest drought since May 2015. Kind of wild, right?

In the ninth, the Dodgers made things interesting. Max Muncy and Andy Pages each knocked in runs with RBI singles off Riley O’Brien, cutting the lead to one.

O’Brien slammed the door, though, striking out pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing to notch his ninth save. Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández had infield hits earlier in the frame, but the rally fizzled out and L.A. came up just short.

Turning points and pitching duel

The Cardinals’ early burst—Herrera and Burleson’s two-out hits, then Walker’s homer—gave McGreevy a cushion to work with. He navigated traffic and leaned on his infield, who turned double plays to help him out.

Sasaki showed plenty of poise, grinding through six innings even after giving up three runs. The Dodgers just couldn’t get the ball in the air, and that missing power loomed large in this tight game.

Standout performers

  • Michael McGreevy — six shutout innings, three strikeouts, and leaned on his defense to keep the Dodgers off the board.
  • Jordan Walker — a game-changing homer, his 10th of the season, and a streak of seven straight plate appearances with a hit. He’s making his presence felt.
  • Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson — set the tone in the third with back-to-back doubles that led to Walker’s homer.
  • Roki Sasaki — six innings, three runs, five hits, and a career-high pitch count. He kept L.A. in it, even if the bats didn’t back him up.
  • Max Muncy and Andy Pages — clutch RBI singles in the ninth to keep the Dodgers alive until the very end.

What this means going forward

The Cardinals stretched their winning streak to six games. They snapped a recent Seattle sweep and proved they can keep momentum, even when the offense isn’t launching home runs left and right.

Sunday brings a matchup with Dustin May pitching for the Dodgers and Dustin Wrobleski for the Cardinals. That’s a pair of Dustins, which is honestly just fun to say, and it should make for an interesting test as St. Louis tries to hang in the crowded NL race.

Looking ahead, the Cardinals want to ride Walker’s hot streak. They’ll hope their younger players keep growing, too.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are searching for power and some kind of steady production at the plate. It’s a little surprising to see them struggle for consistency, but baseball’s weird like that.

People will probably talk about the contrast between McGreevy’s pitch-to-contact style and Sasaki’s grind-it-out, high-pitch-count effort. Both teams feel the pressure as late-season games start to matter a lot more.

 
Here is the source article for this story: McGreevy, Cardinals notch sixth straight win 3-2 as Dodgers’ slump continues

Scroll to Top