{"id":450797,"date":"2026-09-02T07:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T07:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450797\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T07:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T07:02:12","slug":"sluggish-dodgers-open-homestand-with-lopsided-loss-to-cardinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450797\/","title":{"rendered":"Sluggish Dodgers open homestand with lopsided loss to Cardinals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Dodgers<\/a>\u2019 August woes followed them into the first day of September.<\/p>\n

Roster expansion, returning three players from the injured list, the mental relief of turning the calendar page \u2014 none of that gave the Dodgers the boost they needed against the Cardinals on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Instead, the Dodgers lost 13-8<\/a> to a team that entered the day 4 \u00bd games out of the last National League wild-card spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think tonight we just got behind the eight ball,\u201d manager Dave Roberts<\/a> said. <\/p>\n

During the Dodgers\u2019 past seven series (following a high-scoring trip to Chicago), their rotation has recorded a top-five ERA (2.97) in the majors. But on Tuesday, left-hander Eric Lauer<\/a> coughed up seven runs in three innings.<\/p>\n

\"Dodgers <\/p>\n

Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland chases the ball as the Cardinals\u2019 Nathan Church hits an RBI in the third inning Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.<\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

It was a personal outlier as well in Lauer\u2019s time with the Dodgers. Lauer had given up more than three runs in just two other outings since the Dodgers acquired him from the Blue Jays in mid-May, and Tuesday marked his shortest start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt good warming up, felt good in the bullpen, then got out there and kind of just lost it,\u201d Lauer said. \u201cAnd you know it\u2019s one of those things where you try to make adjustments and you try to work on things between, and I think I might have been just tinkering a little too much in between and getting outside of myself. So I think really just focusing on what I do well and repeating that and not trying to get too fancy and getting back to the basics is really all I can do.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Dodgers had briefly moved Lauer from the rotation into the bullpen, but he reclaimed his starting role when right-hander Roki Sasaki landed on the IL<\/a> last week with a blister on his right middle finger.<\/p>\n

Lauer\u2019s start Tuesday began to go downhill in the second inning when he gave up back-to-back solo homers to Ram\u00f3n Urias and Thomas Saggese with two outs.<\/p>\n

Those two runs could have been quickly forgotten if Lauer had gotten back on track. The next inning, however, he surrendered five runs as the Cardinals kept chipping away with five singles, a hit batter, a walk and a sacrifice fly.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers struck back in the bottom half of the inning \u2014 but not exactly with authority.<\/p>\n

Mookie Betts\u2019 bases-clearing double was assisted by a Cardinals defensive miscue. Right fielder Jordan Walker and second baseman Jos\u00e9 Ferm\u00edn both raced after Betts\u2019 shallow fly. As Ferm\u00edn dashed back, Walker slid to attempt the catch \u2014 and took out Ferm\u00edn\u2019s feet from under him.<\/p>\n

The ball fell to the ground. With two outs, Dodgers baserunners were going on contact and all three crossed the plate before Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson could retrieve the ball and throw it.<\/p>\n

Betts\u2019 bat stayed hot. And he contributed another RBI double in the fifth \u2014 this one smoked up the left-field line to drive in one run. But it didn\u2019t do much to put a dent in the Cardinals\u2019 lead.<\/p>\n

The Cardinals continued to tack on against the Dodgers\u2019 bullpen, powered by three more home runs, off right-hander Seth Halvorsen, lefty Alex Vesia and lefty Justin Wrobleski, fresh off the injured list.<\/p>\n

\"Dodgers <\/p>\n

Dodgers utility player Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez pitches during the ninth inning of a blowout loss to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Catcher Will Smith, who the Dodgers also activated from the IL Tuesday, put the ball in the air in his first four at-bats and was finally rewarded in the seventh inning with an RBI double. He drove in another run in the ninth, grounding into a fielder\u2019s choice with the bases loaded, as part of a three-run last-ditch rally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that there were some positives with the at-bats,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI liked some of the swings. I like taking walks when given to us. I like being able to push and runs across.\u201d<\/p>\n

All four players who the Dodgers activated on Tuesday appeared in the game. In addition to Smith and Wrobleski, second baseman Alex Freeland (recalled from triple A) started the game, and Dalton Rushing (reinstated from the IL) struck out in his lone pinch-hit at-bat. Rushing will provide a left-handed bat off the bench until he\u2019s graduated from his throwing program and built up on the defensive side.<\/p>\n

The score was so lopsided by the ninth inning that utility player Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez took the mound to finish the game \u2014 but without his signature pitching helmet.<\/p>\n

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