After winning yesterday, the Dodgers had a chance to make it three series wins in a row, but the offense couldn’t add on to the lead, the bullpen struggled yet again, and the defense was the margin of victory in a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals.
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After cramps knocked him out earlier in his last start, Shohei Ohtani was successful at getting through four innings this time, and looked mostly dominant.
In the 1st he got some defensive help on a nice play from Alex Call…
Alex Call saves extra-bases at the cost of his body. pic.twitter.com/3tj1N4kCz9
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
…and concluded the clean inning with 100 MPH.
Shohei hits 100 to end the inning! pic.twitter.com/UMJ3d4F1Mn
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 6, 2025
Ohtani then struck out a pair in the clean 2nd, but then some bad luck struck in the 3rd. Jordan Walker hit a pop-up, but Miguel Rojas lost it in the sun for a “single”.
“Earned” run on this, a steal, a groundout, and a bunt single, lol. pic.twitter.com/KZzgGG42pU
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
Walker then stole second, got to third on a groundout, and scored on a Brendan Donovan bunt single to put the Cardinals up 1-0.
Take what the defense gives you! pic.twitter.com/kE4UchceDI
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 6, 2025
He did strikeout two more in that inning, then emphatically struck out the side in the 4th to complete his dominant outing: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K, 54 Pitches.
Ohtani gets through 4 innings, striking out 8, allowing just a pop-up sun single and a bunt single. https://t.co/laPDqunW0L pic.twitter.com/r7MwjxMc6d
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
Despite the run, Ohtani left the game with the lead.
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Speaking of the offense, they certainly didn’t have the explosive showing from yesterday, but they did look threatening throughout at least.
Their first chance came in the 2nd after a lead-off single and a one-out passed ball, but nothing came from it. The 3rd started with Alex Call getting his first hit as a Dodger, a double down the line in right.
Alex Call’s first hit as a Dodger is a double, comes through under the real pressure, which is learning the celebrations. pic.twitter.com/xVeM9hSRPb
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
With one down it was none other than Shohei himself to give the Dodgers the lead with his 39th dinger of the year to make it 2-1. That was his 1000th hit in the majors.
Shohei Ohtani, pitchers who rake! pic.twitter.com/p1CeiLghLy
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 6, 2025
That Shohei bat flip. ? pic.twitter.com/PUO8yEdbr0
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 6, 2025
Mookie Betts continued to look better at least, doubling immediately after Shohei, but they didn’t get anymore, as Masyn Winn knocked down a Freddie Freeman single to prevent a runner from scoring.
Mookie’s double since everybody is hyperfocused on the bad. pic.twitter.com/UmUzc4Rbvh
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
In the 4th they added a run in a bizarre way, as Andy Pages led the inning off with a single, got to second on a wild pitch, then stole third and ended up scoring when Pedro Pages‘ throw hit Rojas’ bat in the box for an error to make it 3-1.
Pages singles, gets to second on a wild pitch, steals third and scores when the other Pages’ throw hits Miggy’s bat. Wild run. pic.twitter.com/4DaPeNQ6Oa
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
The offense was then quieted, as they managed just a lead-off walk in the 5th and had a lead-off single erased by a double play in the 7th. Thus, the advantage remained at two.
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Taking over for Ohtani in the 5th was Justin Wrobleski, who pretty clearly wasn’t as sharp as he has been of late. The traffic started immediately, as a one-out single and double put the tying run in scoring position immediately. Thankfully, a strikeout and groundout to Freeland got him out of the jam.
Alex Freeland … thank you. pic.twitter.com/HQmCPRavn1
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2025
The 6th was arguably worse, as a lead-off walk was followed by a single to corner things up with nobody out, and a Lars Nootbaar got a run to cut the lead to 3-2.
Another single followed to corner the runners again, and a stolen base on a strikeout put the go-ahead run on second, but a comebacker got Wrobo out of that mess.
Surprisingly, he was allowed to get the 7th, and things started ominously with a single that required a nice Teoscar Hernandez cut-off in right to prevent worse. A sac bunt put him under pressure again, but he managed to exit the game with the lead intact.
Unfortunately, they went from one reliever that didn’t have his best to the next, as Alex Vesia entered in the 8th. He gave up a lead-off single, then another with one-out after a 10-pitch battle.
While a flyout put him on the verge of escape, Dave Roberts allowed him to face righty Jordan Walker with Brock Stewart ready, and he paid for it as a single followed to tie the game, and after a Pages throw to third didn’t get the lead runner, Freeland made a bad throw to second to score the go-ahead run and the Cardinals had a 4-3 lead.
Jordan Walker comes up big! pic.twitter.com/KUNx79SA1w
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 6, 2025
Vesia finished the 8th after an intentional walk, but things didn’t get any better as Brock Stewart also struggled. He gave up a single, hit a batter, gave up a deep flyball to corner the runners, and a double to Nootbaar to push the Cardinals lead to 5-3, then a walk loaded the bases with just one down.
NOOOOOOT extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/vo5ZP7gkLH
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 6, 2025
A strikeout and flyout prevented taking them out of the game, I guess
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To close, the offense managed just a two-out single in the 8th, and then got a two-out walk in the 9th. They were one pitch away from Ohtani getting a shot to win it, but a groundout ended the game.
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The Dodgers will have tomorrow off, and then will welcome to the Blue Jays in for a three-game series starting at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET. It’ll be a fun matchup of geriatrics between Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.
