Cardinals Coming Together at Dodgers’ Expense

The Dodgers are playing the hot St. Louis Cardinals at the wrong time, though it might be even tougher later.

The National League Central division leaders are deep, talented and coming together nicely, which the Dodgers can attest to after losing, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

The Cardinals (39-28) received several timely contributions in winning their sixth in a row and their second consecutive in this series.

J.D. Drew continued to thrive in a platoon role, hitting a three-run home run against Dodger starter Darren Dreifort (4-5) in the fifth inning for the game’s first runs. Mark McGwire added a seventh-inning solo shot--his 24th homer--against Antonio Osuna and St. Louis’ pitching staff did its job as well.

Cardinal starter Andy Benes (7-3) worked six solid innings to gain his second victory in 11 career starts at Dodger Stadium and his first since his rookie season with San Diego in 1989. He gave up a two-run homer to Gary Sheffield but struck out 10, and closer Dave Veres cruised in the ninth for his 13th save before 46,048.

Sheffield provided the Dodger highlights with three hits, including his team-leading 20th homer in the fifth. Dreifort impressed often in matching his season high with nine strikeouts, Jeff Shaw pitched a scoreless ninth in his bid to regain the full-time closer’s job and third baseman Adrian Beltre had two hits in his return from the disabled list.

But the Dodgers (35-31) still lost and have dropped five of seven. They’re frustrated, and the Cardinals aren’t helping their mood.

“This team is based on many players doing many things,” said Drew, who platoons in right field with Eric Davis.

“Our success depends on a lot of guys getting opportunities, and then making the most of them. It’s a matter of every one of us contributing, everybody doing their part.”

Drew seized his opportunity in the fifth.

Edgar Renteria led off with a single and Dreifort hit Jim Edmonds with a pitch. Dreifort escaped a two-on, none-out jam in the first by striking out the side swinging, and the hard-throwing right-hander almost did it in the fifth.

He struck out McGwire and Ray Lankford and had Drew in a 0-and-2 count. But Drew crushed Dreifort’s next pitch, sending it into the right-field pavilion for his 11th homer.

“We were trying to go with a fastball up, it caught the middle of the plate and J.D. got it,” Dodger catcher Paul LoDuca said. “Dreif made only that one mistake, and he paid for it.”

Said Dreifort: “Right pitch. Bad location.”

Osuna’s location also wasn’t good against McGwire in the seventh. With the Cardinals leading, 3-2, McGwire led off with a homer to left on a 1-and-1 pitch.

The Dodgers cut the lead to 4-3 in the eighth on Shawn Green’s run-scoring grounder, and Green extended his streak of reaching base with either a hit or a walk to 48 consecutive games. But other than Sheffield, the Dodgers didn’t get enough from their big hitters.

They had eight hits after getting only seven--none after the sixth--Friday in a 6-3 loss to the Cardinals. The offense recently hasn’t been what it needs to be, Manager Davey Johnson said.

“We’re a little bit sluggish offensively,” Johnson said. “You hold a good team to four runs, that’s a good pitching job. You’ve got to score runs.”

Dreifort could have used more.

He gave up eight hits and walked two, throwing 63 strikes in 100 pitches. After beginning the season 3-1, Dreifort has four losses in his last five starts.

“Other than [losses to Philadelphia and the Angels], I feel I’ve thrown the ball pretty well,” said Dreifort, who has a 4.84 earned-run average. “If you take out that one pitch . . .”

Johnson agreed.

“Dreif had unbelievable stuff, he just wasn’t very pitch efficient,” Johnson said. “He just made that one bad pitch on Drew right over the plate. Just that one.”

That’s how things have been going for the Cardinals lately. And the Dodgers too.