Nolan Gorman's Two-Run Blast and a Balk: How the Cardinals Buried the Dodgers in the First Inning

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't waste any time putting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a hole on Friday night. In the opening inning at Busch Stadium, Emmet Sheehan's inability to properly switch from his windup to the stretch cost LA a run on a balk. Six pitches later, Nolan Gorman launched a two-run home run to give St. Louis a shocking 3-0 lead before most fans had settled into their seats. That early damage proved to be all the Cardinals needed in a 7-2 victory that extended their winning streak to five games.

The Dodgers Couldn't Keep Up Once the Cards Got Rolling

Max Muncy got one run back for the Dodgers in the second inning with an RBI double to left-center that scored Andy Pages from first. Kyle Tucker added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to cut the deficit to two runs. But St. Louis kept piling on. Alec Burleson cranked a solo home run to right field in the third inning to make it 4-1, and the game got completely out of hand in the seventh when Jordan Walker delivered a two-run double and Nathan Church added a run-scoring ground ball to extend the lead to 7-2.

Walker's Masterclass and Solid Relief Pitching Sealed the Deal

Jordan Walker was the night's offensive star, finishing with four hits in what was his third career four-hit game. His two-run double in the seventh essentially closed the door on any Dodgers comeback hopes. Matthew Liberatore was solid on the mound for St. Louis, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win and improve to 1-1. The Cardinals' bullpen was dominant, with relievers George Soriano, Gordon Graceffo, and Matt Svanson combining to hold Los Angeles scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings.

For the Dodgers, Sheehan's start was rough. The first-inning balk and Gorman's two-run homer meant he was chasing from the jump. He finished giving up four runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in his first start at St. Louis and dropped to 2-1. The loss was LA's third in a row, bringing them to 5-8 since April 18. The Cardinals, meanwhile, improved to 11-5 since April 14 and will look to keep rolling in game two of their three-game series and six-game homestand.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.