LOS ANGELES, CA — Stars aren’t born in Hollywood, they just end up there.
Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium as St. Louis defeated the Dodgers by a final of 8-6, Cardinals Dominican-American rookie Joshua Báez, 23, of Boston, Massachusetts, was the Hollywood star.
A rookie sensation who had a historic MLB debut last month, hitting three home runs against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Báez, off the bench in the eighth inning Wednesday via a pinch-hit opportunity, hit a double his first at-bat and another his next time up in the 10th.
Just what St. Louis (70-70) and manager Oliver Marmol essentially ordered, with Báez responsible for the eventual game-winning runs on a two-run line drive double in extras that sent the struggling and defending back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers (82-57) to a bitter defeat.
“That was a really good one for a lot of reasons that didn’t start off well. And at this place against that lineup, you give up a three spot that early, it’s easy to fold,” said Marmol, one of two Latino managers in MLB currently along with Houston’s Joe Espada.
“They continue to show that isn’t a part of what they do.”
Opting for a bullpen game, the Cardinals started rookie Brycen Mautz, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, with just two games and six innings pitched under his belt. A rough draw of hands for the 25-year-old left-hander as he faced nine batters in the first inning—one being Freddie Freeman who hit a 416-foot three-run home run to give Los Angeles a quick three-run lead.
This then opened the door for Dodgers 28-year-old right-handed ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.56 ERA, to settle in and use his entire arsenal of six different pitches—97-98-MPH four-seam fastballs and one of the nastiest splitters in the game, mixed in with wicked curveballs, sinkers, cutters and sliders.
He faced the minimum number of batters through five innings and had a no-hit bid that ended in the top of the sixth inning on a leadoff single by Nathan Church, who would score on a 396-foot home run from Leo Bernal, Panama City, Panama—the Cardinals rookie’s first MLB career home run.
With Cardinals rookie Leo Bernal recently making his MLB debut on September 1st, the 22-year-old Panama native became just eight player from Panama to appear in a MLB game this season and 83rd all-time – Image Credit: Major League Baseball
Nevertheless, Los Angeles would get those runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Mookie Betts 392-foot two-run homer.
The game as a whole though had more than just home runs to get the 45,900 fans in attendance out of their seats, like magic appearing from Miguel Rojas, of Los Teques, Venezuela, who made three spectacular plays at second base that, at the time, kept Yamamoto’s no-hitter going.
Yamamoto (93 pitches, 60 for strikes), finishing with a line of seven innings pitched, five hits, four runs, two walks and eight strikeouts, uncharacteristically lost his command soon after and surrendered a sixth inning 396-foot two-run home run to Thomas Saggese, his third home run in two games, making it 5-4.
The Cardinals would tie it up in the top of the eighth inning and eventually send the game into extras, where Báez with a bat, like Rojas with a glove, would work their magic.
“To be down three today and there be not an ounce of panic, that’s what you’re trying to value with your group and double down on,” Marmol said. “Overall, just a very productive day. We enjoy tonight and get ready for tomorrow.”
As Los Angeles tries to get back on a winning track, Thursday’s series finale will see back-to-back American Cy Young Award winner lefty Tarik Skubal face off against Cardinals’ 25-year-old lefty Quinn Mathews.
With the postseason quickly approaching, the Dodgers are in serious jeopardy of having to play in the Wild Card round rather than having a first-round bye.
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