Cardinals hit 7 home runs at home for first time in 83 years, power past Dodgers 16-8
By WARREN MAYES
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Willson Contreras hit two three-run homers, Nolan Gorman also homered twice and the St. Louis Cardinals went deep seven times in a home game for the first time in 83 years to power past the Los Angeles Dodgers 16-8 in a slugfest Thursday night.
“We’ll take it,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “The guys are feeling pretty good about where they’re at right now. We have a lot of guys playing with confidence. We like it.”
Nolan Arenado added a two-run homer, and Juan Yepez and Paul DeJong each hit solo homers run for St. Louis.
The Cardinals, who have homered in a season-high seven games in a row, hit seven in a home game for the first time since May 7, 1940, when they did it against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yepez, Gorman and DeJong hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning.
Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam for his 300th career home run and Max Muncy added a solo homer for the Dodgers. Los Angeles leads the majors this season with five grand slams and rank second with 74 homers.
The teams’ nine combined home runs set a record for Busch Stadium.
St. Louis has won nine of 11 games after a 10-24 start to the season. The Cardinals have hit 27 homers in their last 11 games.
Adam Wainwright (1-0) allowed five runs — two earned — and five hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win in his third start this season.
“If we hit seven home runs every time I pitch the rest of the year, we’re going to win a lot of games,” Wainwright quipped. “We took relentless at-bats all day. The Cards are playing good ball. I told you all it was going to happen.”
Dodgers starter Julio Urias (5-4) made his first career start against the Cardinals and it didn’t go well. He gave up six runs in three innings.
“I hate to discount what they did,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It just seemed like they were just on everything he threw. He didn’t make good pitches.”
The Cardinals batted around with four home runs in a six-run third inning off Urias.
“I know that I missed badly and I paid the price for it,” Urias said. “I’ve got to do a better job of executing pitches.”
Contreras hit a one-out, three-run shot 434 feet to center field.
“Everything starts in the clubhouse,” said Contreras, who was given a curtain call by the fans and said it was his first since 2016. “The positive vibes are all around the clubhouse. Once you see a player having a good at-bat, I think that’s really contagious.”
With two outs, pinch-hitter Yepez, Gorman and DeJong hit back-to-back-to-back homers.
St. Louis added three runs in the fourth off Phil Bickford. Oscar Mercado, who had three hits, scored on a double steal. Arenado hit a two-run homer with two outs to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 9-2. It was Arenado’s sixth home run in his last seven games. He also has had an RBI in eight straight games.
Facing reliever Genesis Cabrera, Freeman hit a grand slam — the fourth of his career — to highlight the Dodgers’ five-run sixth.
“You know, you wish you do these things in wins,” Freeman said of his 300th homer. “But, you know, (it’s) still pretty cool. Kind of.”
Muncy led off the seventh with a homer to chase Cabrera and cut the lead to 9-8.
Contreras’ second three-run homer and Gorman’s two-run blast highlighted a seven-run eighth inning.
“We’re all clicking right now,” Gorman said. “We’re showing how deep we are.”
19 AND 206 AND COUNTING
Contreras became the 19th catcher to be behind the plate for Wainwright, who made his 206th career start at Busch Stadium III, passing Red Ruffing (205 starts at the original Yankee Stadium) for 20th all-time in MLB history for a single stadium.
WELCOME BACK
Former St. Louis catcher and manager Mike Matheny was honored on the field and threw out a first pitch to former outfielder Willie McGee. A Matheny bobblehead was given away to fans attending the game. Matheny was fired as the manager in 2018.
OUTFIELD COLLISION
In the second inning, RF Tommy Edman caught a fly ball in right center hit by Miguel Rojas and held onto it after CF Lars Nootbaar collided with him. Both fell on the warning track with Edman holding his glove aloft showing he had the ball. He left in the fourth inning when Yepez pinch hit for him. Edman was experiencing soreness in his lower abdomen.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Dustin May (right flexor pronator strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list. May suffered an elbow injury in the first inning of Wednesday’s come-from-behind 7-3 victory. On the season, he is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA.
Cardinals: LF Tyler O’Neill (lower back strain) has been out since May 5 and did not begin a rehab assignment Thursday. Instead, he was to meet with doctors about his “lingering discomfort.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (1-1, 1.42) is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 16 strikeouts in three career starts against St. Louis.
Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (0-4, 5.62) has made five career starts against the Dodgers, but this will be his first as a member of the Cardinals.
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