Max Muncy’s 2-run homer in the eighth rallies Dodgers past Cardinals
LOS ANGELES — With the Dodgers’ 3-D lineup struggling to jump off the page, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy finished off a stand-out day in a 5-4 victory Sunday over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman sold the tickets then went a combined 1-for-11. The lone hit was an Ohtani double in the sixth inning that proved key when he scored on a Hernandez double to give the Dodgers their first run of the day.
The Dodgers still trailed 4-2 in the eighth when Hernandez reached across the plate and lifted a home run to left field to bring the Dodgers within a run. Muncy, who didn’t even start the game against the left-handed Steven Matz, still made a major impact, in more ways than one.
Muncy entered the game in the sixth inning and brought home Hernandez on a pinch-hit single.
In the eighth against Cardinals left-hander John King, it was vintage Muncy as he crushed a2-1 slider into the seats in right holding his follow through before flipping his bat to the ground.
All that money, all that talent, all that expectation and the Dodgers were a handful of outs from dropping to 3-3 on the season and on national TV no less when all eyes were able to see the behemoth they built, only to have it sputter until late.
On Saturday, the Cardinals cashed in a hit batter, catcher’s interference and a balk for a five-run seventh inning that jump started their first victory of the season.
On Sunday it appeared like it would be more of the same misfortune. St. Louis had an early broken-bat RBI single from Paul Goldschmidt, a sacrifice bunt to set up the second run in the fifth and added two runs in the sixth when Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and a catcher’s interference on Austin Barnes, with Goldschmidt back at the plate.
The Dodgers were staring up at a 4-0 deficit in the sixth inning. It was just the inspiration they needed.
The Dodgers also got their first look at right-hander Gavin Stone in 2024, with the right-hander recording six strikeouts, while also giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings.
Still without a home run, Ohtani doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, went to third on a fly ball from Freddie Freeman and scored on a Hernandez double. Two batters later, Muncy had a pinch-hit RBI single against right-hander Andrew Kittredge, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Hernandez’s third home run of the season came off right-hander Andre Pallante and was the prelude for Muncy’s moment.
One night after Joe Kelly struggled during the Cardinals’ seventh-inning rally, left-handed reliever Alex Vesia had his own issues. He replaced Stone in the sixth only to walk the first two batters he faced while loading the bases. He compounded the problem when he plunked Donovan to force in a run.