The Los Angeles Dodgers matched their season-best winning streak of three games and completed a series sweep for the first time this year by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-3.
The Dodgers were outhit by the Cardinals but in a change from leading the National League in home runs, their scoring production largely came via manufactured offense and productive outs.
After the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead, Jason Heyward started the Dodgers’ comeback with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second inning. He came around to score two groundouts later.
Heyward then was part of the Dodgers scoring in the fourth inning as he drew the first of back-to-back walks. Both runners advanced on a Miguel Vargas groundout, and David Peralta’s grounder brought Heyward in to tie the game.
Chris Taylor followed that with a two-out RBI double to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
The Cardinals immediately pulled even but the Dodgers answered back themselves in the bottom of the fifth inning. Will Smith’s fly ball to shallow right field landed just fair and out of the reach of Brendan Donovan on his attempt at an over-the-shoulder catch.
Walks by Max Muncy and Heyward loaded the bases with nobody out, and the Dodgers took a lead when Cardinals relief pitcher Drew VerHagen uncorked a wild pitch. Miguel Vargas ended that plate appearance with a walk, and Peralta beat out a would-be inning-ending double play for his second RBI.
Smith provided a final bit of insurance in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded.
Syndergaard picks up first win with Dodgers
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expected Noah Syndergaard to bounce back from a rough outing, which in some sense he managed to.
While Syndergaard pitched into the sixth inning, he allowed three runs on eight hits and an abundance of hard contact. Syndergaard didn’t issue any walks but only induced three swing-and-misses (one on the changeup; three on curveball) and failed to record a strikeout.
The 5.1 innings pitched marked Syndergaard’s longest start of his career without a strikeout. Nevertheless, he picked up his first win as a member of the Dodgers.
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