Paul Goldschmidt delivered an RBI groundout in the 10th inning as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals capitalized on a gift five-run seventh inning and then held on for their first win of the season in a 6-5 victory Saturday over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Goldschmidt’s one-out slow roller to shortstop scored automatic runner Victor Scott II as the Cardinals outlasted the Dodgers and a rare Dodger Stadium rain delay that lasted 35 minutes following the fourth inning.
The Dodgers nearly won the game in the ninth inning before leaving the game-winning run at third base when Teoscar Hernandez struck out.
Trailing 5-3 in the ninth, the Dodgers started their rally with a one-out home run from Mookie Betts off Ryan Helsley to cut their deficit to 5-4. Freddie Freeman and Will Smith singled before Max Muncy tied it 5-5 on a two-out bloop single to center field.
Betts has a home run in each of the past four games.
Kyle Hurt (0-1) pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Dodgers before giving up the run in the 10th inning. Helsley (1-0) gave up two runs on four hits in the ninth inning but still earned the win and Giovanny Gallegos pitched the 10th for his first save.
Lance Lynn pitched four scoreless innings while on the mound for the Cardinals for the first time since 2017 and gave up four hits with five strikeouts.
The Cardinals took advantage of a walk, a hit batter, catcher’s interference and a balk in the seventh against Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly to take a 5-2 lead.
Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto went five scoreless innings in his home debut, pitching his final inning after the rain delay. It was the first pause for weather at Dodger Stadium since April of 2017.
Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million contract in the offseason after pitching seven seasons in his native Japan, was roughed up in his major league debut last week against the San Diego Padres at South Korea when he gave up five runs in just a one-inning start.
Will Smith had a pair of RBI singles for the Dodgers and Freddie Freeman added his own RBI single.
–Field Level Media
