Sometimes a day off isn't enough to reset the engine. The Los Angeles Dodgers (20-12) hit the road hoping to leave their recent offensive struggles behind, but a tough 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals (19-13) on Friday night proved that some slumps travel well.
The bats, which had gone quiet against the Marlins earlier in the week, remained cold at Busch Stadium. After enjoying their first off-day in two weeks, the Dodgers managed just four runs over their last three games—a worrying trend for a lineup built to produce.
Shohei Ohtani had a night to forget, going 0-for-5 with a strikeout, dropping his season average to .261. As a team, Los Angeles went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base. When you can't deliver in the clutch, even the best pitching can't save you.
The trouble started early for starter Gavin Stone (not Sheehan, as initially reported), who needed 30 pitches to get through a chaotic first inning. A throwing error by catcher Will Smith and a controversial balk call—one that came after a lengthy umpire huddle—allowed Iván Herrera to score the game's first run. The play was made worse when Miguel Rojas missed a tag on a pickoff attempt, allowing runners to advance to second and third. Nolan Gorman made them pay, crushing a two-run homer to make it 3-0.
The Dodgers finally got on the board in the third when Andy Pages singled and Max Muncy ripped a double off the center-field wall. Muncy continues to swing a hot bat, tallying 11 hits in his last 10 games.
Stone settled down in the second, retiring the side in order, but Alec Burleson struck again in the third with a solo home run on a two-strike pitch, pushing the lead to 4-1. Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández opened the fourth with back-to-back singles, but the threat fizzled when Pages grounded into a double play.
For a team built on star power and high expectations, this is the kind of stretch that tests a clubhouse's resolve. The Dodgers will need to find their timing, trust their approach, and get back to doing what they do best: putting runs on the board.