Willson Contreras's HR lifts Cardinals over Dodgers 3-2 on Aug 6, 2025. See how Matthew Liberatore outdueled Ohtani in a statement win for the new-look Cards.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
In a season of difficult transitions, the St. Louis Cardinals gave fans a thrilling glimpse of their trademark grit on Wednesday night. In a tense duel at Dodger Stadium, Willson Contreras launched a go-ahead 7th-inning home run to power the Cardinals to a 3-2 victory, snapping a losing streak and pulling the team back to a .500 record. But while the win provided immediate satisfaction, it unfolded against the backdrop of a franchise that has firmly pivoted, trading established stars for a new wave of prospects that represents the future of baseball in St. Louis.
Willson Contreras's 7th-inning solo shot, his 15th of the year, was the difference-maker in a tense 3-2 victory over the Dodgers.
In a matchup that looked like a mismatch on paper, Matthew Liberatore delivered one of his gutsiest starts of the year. The lefty went toe-to-toe with Dodgers ace Shohei Ohtani, keeping the high-powered offense off balance and giving his team a chance to win. The decisive moment came in the seventh, when Nolan Gorman and Y. Pozo started a rally with singles before Willson Contreras stepped up and blasted a solo homer to center, his 15th of the season. The bullpen took it from there, shutting the door and securing a hard-fought win that proves this team hasn't quit on the season.
This victory comes less than a week after the front office made its intentions for 2025 crystal clear. In his final trade deadline before handing the reins to Chaim Bloom, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak executed a series of moves designed to restock a depleted farm system. Two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, along with key arms Phil Maton and Steven Matz, were shipped out in exchange for a haul of six prospects. It was a clear signal that contention this year was being sacrificed for a stronger foundation for 2026 and beyond.
The payoff for the deadline sell-off is a newly energized farm system. The headliners are power-hitting shortstop Jesus Baez and right-handed pitcher Nate Dohm, the main pieces in the Helsley deal with the Mets. Their arrival, along with four other prospects, bolsters an organization that already features promising talent like JJ Wetherholt, Quinn Mathews, and Leonardo Bernal. While fans celebrate tonight's win, the front office is banking on these new names becoming the core of the next great Cardinals team.
Tonight's win was a perfect encapsulation of the Cardinals' new reality: a team capable of beating anyone on a given night, but with its true focus on the horizon. The rest of 2025 will be a fascinating balancing act between competing in the present and evaluating the pieces—both on the field in St. Louis and developing in the minors—that will define the Chaim Bloom era. Wins like this make the wait for that future a whole lot more enjoyable.
