St. Louis Cardinals Bullpen Blows Lead in 9th as Dodgers Avoid Sweep
The St. Louis Cardinals were not intimidated to be facing off with Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers. They came out of the gate swinging – literally – and Quinn Mathews did his part to give the Cardinals a fighting chance Thursday night in Los Angeles. They came so close to sweeping the Dodgers, but the […]
The St. Louis Cardinals faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 2, 2026. The Cardinals started strong, jumping on Dodger right-hander Tarik Skubal in the first inning. José Fermín and Iván Herrera contributed with singles, putting runners on first and third with nobody out. The early momentum continued as Jordan Walker, Joshua Báez, and Leo Bernal added to the Cardinals' lead, thanks in part to a key defensive play by Mookie Betts.
However, the game took a turn in the bottom of the 5th inning when Tommy Edman's single led to a Dodgers runner at second base. Despite the pressure, Quinn Mathews kept the Cardinals' bats busy, allowing them 5 hits and scoring 1 run while walking 4 batters. Skubal's pitch count reached double digits by the third inning, demonstrating his endurance.
The Cardinals' offense struggled to capitalize on Skubal's performance, only scoring two runs in the game. Manager Dave Roberts made strategic decisions, such as lifting Skubal with 2 outs and 2 on in the top of the 6th inning and pinch-hitting Alec Burleson for Pedro Pagés. Despite some controversial challenges, the Cardinals put up a tough fight against the Dodgers, but ultimately fell short, unable to secure the sweep.
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