Joc Pederson homers again but Dodgers lose to Cardinals, 3-1

KEY MOMENT: Brett Anderson served up a two-run home run to Jhonny Peralta in the first inning that put the Dodgers in a 2-0 hole. “I was trying to go in, and it leaked out over the plate,” Anderson said. The Dodgers trailed for the remainder of the game.

AT THE PLATE: Joc Pederson hit his 13th home run of the season, a solo home run in the eighth inning off left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist. Pederson’s home run total through May is tied for the second-most in baseball history by a National League rookie. Orlando Cepeda also had 13 at this stage in 1958. The only player with more was Albert Pujols, who had 16 in 2001. The Dodgers finished the game with two hits, only one of which came against Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez, who pitched seven innings. The game was particularly emotional for Martinez, as the Cardinals honored his late friend and teammate Oscar Taveras in a pregame ceremony.

ON THE MOUND: Anderson pitched six innings, with the only two runs scored against him coming on Peralta’s home run. The left-hander said he was relatively satisfied with his effort, considering he felt he had nothing on the ball. “It was maybe the worst stuff I’ve ever had in the big leagues,” Anderson said. “There aren’t too many mortal victories in this game, but the fact that I gave our team a quality start and two runs with my D-plus stuff in this ballpark against a good team, you can kind of take solace in that. Command was brutal. I didn’t have life on anything, really.” Chris Hatcher’s struggles continued, as the right-hander gave up an eighth-inning insurance run to the Cardinals. Hatcher’s ERA is now 6.89.

MEDICAL REPORT: Left-hander Paco Rodriguez has been placed on the disabled list and is scheduled to return to Los Angeles to undergo an MRI examination on his elbow. “Probably for the past three or four outings, Paco hasn’t felt quite right,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “He just feels like he doesn’t have true finish on the ball. He’s not having any pain per se, but we know he’s having trouble getting extended and finishing pitches.” The Dodgers listed Rodriguez’s injury as an elbow strain. “We’re going to try to catch this before it gets to anything,” Mattingly said. Rodriguez has pitched in 18 games for the Dodgers this season, posting a 2.61 earned-run average.

ROSTER MOVE: The Dodgers replaced Rodriguez on their active roster with right-hander Matt West, who was recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City. West, 26, was acquired by the Dodgers from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 4. As an infielder in rookie ball, West was suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He later became a pitcher and reached the majors last season with the Texas Rangers, for whom he made three appearances.

UP NEXT: Clayton Kershaw (3-3, 3.86 ERA) will face the Colorado Rockies and Kyle Kendrick (2-6, 6.38) at Coors Field on Monday at 5:30 p.m. PDT. TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020.

—Dylan Hernandez