Cardinals keep cramping Dodgers’ style with third straight win, 2-0
Reporting from St. Louis — Figuratively and literally, the Dodgers are limping out of St. Louis.
The Dodgers on Saturday moved to within a defeat of being swept in a four-game series by the St. Louis Cardinals, losing, 2-0, in a game in which James Loney had to be helped off the field at Busch Stadium.
With Andre Ethier standing on first base and none out in the top of the ninth inning, Loney grabbed his left hamstring after taking a swing that resulted in a popout to first base.
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina wrapped his arms around Loney to prevent him from falling.
“He made a good catch,” Loney said, smiling. “He catches everything.”
Loney could laugh about the incident because of the unthreatening diagnosis he received from the medical staff.
He had a cramp.
Treatment consisted of Loney receiving fluids intravenously. Manager Joe Torre said he expected his first baseman to be available to play in the series finale Sunday.
“There are no rules when you go out and play in the heat,” Torre said.
What made the loss Saturday frustrating for the Dodgers was that they finally got their starter to pitch well.
Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley were hit hard in the first two games of the series, but Hiroki Kuroda held the Cardinals to a run and four hits over six innings, striking out eight.
Kuroda pitched out of trouble multiple times, including in the first inning, when he gave up a leadoff double to Felipe Lopez. Kuroda escaped by striking out Colby Rasmus, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday.
“His slider was as sharp as it’s been in a while,” catcher A.J. Ellis said.
The Cardinals broke the scoreless stalemate in the fourth inning, when Skip Shumaker doubled to right to drive in Jon Jay.
Kuroda, who had the misfortune of facing Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson in his previous start, was matched up against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright this time. The one-run cushion was enough for Wainwright and the Cardinals’ bullpen.
With Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin out of the lineup because of minor injuries, Wainwright held the Dodgers to five hits in six innings and improved his record to 14-5.
“You have to give Wainwright a lot of credit,” Torre said.
The Dodgers had men at the corners in the second and sixth innings, but Wainwright forced Xavier Paul and Loney to hit into inning-ending double plays.
Blake DeWitt doubled with two out in the fourth, but Casey Blake grounded out.
“He made the pitches he had to make in critical situations,” Rafael Furcal said.
For Kuroda (7-8), the day brought back memories of pitching in Japan. Temperatures were in the mid-90s. The air was humid.
“In Japan, it’s even more humid,” he said. “It’s been a while since I’ve pitched in this kind of weather.”
But there was one novel aspect to this game for Kuroda.
“There are no day games in July in Japan,” he said.
With the defeat, the Dodgers fell to 3-14 at Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006.
That record doesn’t include the Dodgers’ sweep-securing victory in the ballpark in the National League division series last year. Vicente Padilla, who pitched that game, will pitch Sunday.
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