Yohel Pozo's 9th-inning single lifts the Cardinals over the Dodgers 3-2 on Aug 5. Sonny Gray dazzles in a pitching duel to bring St. Louis back to .500.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Just when you thought you knew what this Cardinals team was, they go and do something like this. In a game that felt like a heavyweight bout, journeyman catcher Yohel Pozo stepped up in the biggest moment, lacing a two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth inning to deliver a stunning 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and bring the Cardinals back to .500.
Sonny Gray was simply untouchable: Seven innings, one hit, one run, seven strikeouts.
Let's be clear: this win doesn't happen without Sonny Gray. The Cardinals' ace was in rare form, completely shutting down the Dodgers' vaunted lineup. Going toe-to-toe with L.A.'s own ace, Tyler Glasnow, Gray spun seven innings of one-hit magic, his only blemish a single run. He was efficient, dominant, and looked every bit the top-of-the-rotation starter the Cardinals need, lowering his season ERA to a sparkling 3.12. It was a vintage performance that gave his team a fighting chance against one of the best teams in baseball.
While Gray kept the Dodgers quiet, the Cardinals' offense found just enough thunder. Masyn Winn finally broke a 32-game homerless drought with a solo shot in the second, a welcome sight for the young shortstop. Later, Iván Herrera blasted what seemed to be the go-ahead homer in the eighth. After Riley O'Brien surrendered the tying run in the bottom half—a tough moment in what became his first-ever MLB win at age 30—the stage was set for the ninth. That's when Yohel Pozo, pinch-hitting with two outs, delivered the decisive RBI single, a moment of pure clutch that sent the Cardinals dugout into a frenzy.
This victory was the first test of the Cardinals' new reality. With closer Ryan Helsley and key arms Phil Maton and Steven Matz traded for a haul of six prospects, the bullpen is a grand experiment. After O'Brien's hiccup, JoJo Romero stepped into the high-pressure closer role for the ninth. He navigated a tense inning, working around a leadoff single from Shohei Ohtani and getting a game-saving diving catch from Lars Nootbaar before inducing the final out. While the front office, led by John Mozeliak, is focused on restocking the farm with names like Jesus Baez, this win proved the big-league club isn't rolling over.
One thrilling win doesn't define a season, especially one that has pivoted towards a rebuild. But it sure felt good. It showed that the core pieces—Gray's dominance, young power, and gutsy performances—can still steal games from the league's elite. Now, the question is, can they do it again? All eyes turn to Miles Mikolas as he takes the mound against Emmet Sheehan tonight, with a chance to clinch a series win that would feel like much more than just another tally in the win column.
