The Los Angeles Dodgers lost the first game of their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday 13-8.
The Dodgers fell behind early and couldn’t find their way back into the game, with three of their runs coming from a gift on a defensive error by the Cardinals.
Eric Lauer started for the Dodgers, receiving a loss after allowing seven runs through just three innings pitched. He gave up eight hits and a walk as well as two home runs as his ERA climbed back above five.
The first of the two homers Lauer gave up came in the top of the second, as Ramon Urias hit his fourth bomb of the season to get things going for the visitors. Thomas Saggese followed Urias with a homer of his own—just the second time he had left the yard all season.
Lauer continued to bleed runs in the third inning, with the Cardinals putting together a huge inning. Ivan Herrera singled home Jose Fermin to start the scoring, extending St. Louis’ lead to three runs, and a flurry of hits led to four more runners crossing the plate by the inning’s end.
The Cardinals, now with a seven-run lead, nearly allowed the Dodgers back into the game in the bottom of the third inning, as a miscommunication from right fielder Jordan Walker and Fermin allowed three runs to score. On a flair to shallow right field with two outs, the two collided and allowed three Dodgers baserunners to make it home.
The Dodgers just couldn’t get away from the long ball, though, as Seth Halvorsen allowed a two-run shot to Walker in the top of the fourth inning. Alex Vesia relieved Halvorsen the following inning, but also allowed a homer to Saggese—restoring the Cardinals’ seven-run lead.
Mookie Betts, who drove in the Dodgers’ first three runs, hit another double in the bottom of the fifth to plate another run for the Dodgers.
The Cardinals’ fifth homer of the night came in the seventh inning, when rookie sensation Joshua Baez hit his sixth homer of the season, giving the visitors a seven-run lead yet again.
Will Smith marked a return to the lineup with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, once again reducing the Cardinals’ lead to six.
Two more Cardinals runs came around to score in the top of the eighth, with Justin Wrobleski making his first appearance since returning from the injured list. The left-hander walked the first batter of the inning and the second reached via an error. A wild pitch scored the first runner of the inning, with a sacrifice fly bringing home the second.
Kiké Hernandez took the mound for the Dodgers in the final inning of the game, but managed to get out of it scot free in his first pitching appearance of the season.
The Dodgers managed to pull a couple of runs back in the bottom of the ninth, but ultimately came up well short of where they needed to be.
They’ll have another opportunity to overcome their embarrassing performance on Tuesday in Wednesday’s matchup, which comes at 7:10 p.m. PT.
