A Late-Inning Shift
The St. Louis Cardinals entered the ninth inning with a 2-1 deficit, but their hopes were extinguished by a dramatic sequence from the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. In the bottom of the ninth, Teoscar Hernández delivered a decisive double to center field. This hit allowed Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman to score, flipping the score to 3-2 in favor of the home team. The play secured the final margin of victory for the Dodgers, ending the game with a 3-2 final score.
Early Scoring and Reliance on Pitching
The Cardinals had built their lead early in the contest. In the first inning, a single by the away team allowed a run to score, giving St. Louis a 1-0 advantage. The lead expanded to 2-0 in the third inning when another single drove in a run for the visitors. The Dodgers managed to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth inning. A wild pitch by Cardinals starter Quinn Mathews allowed Edman to score, providing the only run for Los Angeles until the final frame. The game remained tight, with both teams relying on their pitching staffs to keep the score low.
Pitching Performance
Quinn Mathews started for the Cardinals, pitching five innings. He allowed four hits and one earned run while walking four batters and striking out four. The Dodgers were led by Tarik Skubal, who pitched 5.2 innings. Despite allowing ten hits, Skubal limited the damage to two earned runs, walking one batter and striking out six. The Cardinals used four relievers after Mathews: Cade Winquest, Ryne Stanek, and George Soriano all pitched scoreless innings. Riley O'Brien took the loss, pitching 0.1 innings and allowing two hits and two earned runs.
Final Records and Venue
The Dodgers, who are the home team for this series, improved their record to 83-57. The Cardinals finished the game with a 70-71 record. The contest took place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, in front of an attendance of 45,150 fans. The game concluded on Friday, September 4, 2026. No home runs were recorded by either team during the entire game, with all runs coming off singles, doubles, and wild pitches. The Dodgers' bullpen, including Edgardo Henriquez, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, and Brock Stewart, maintained their composure to protect the late-inning lead. Stewart earned the win, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816796
