Dodgers fall to Cardinals 2-1 on July 7, 2025, in a walk-off heartbreaker. Shohei Ohtani's 9th-inning heroics weren't enough. Recap the stunning finish.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the kind of ninth inning that makes your heart pound and then breaks it. After battling the St. Louis Cardinals through eight scoreless innings, the Dodgers scratched and clawed their way back to tie the game, only to see it slip away in a 2-1 walk-off loss at Busch Stadium. A classic pitcher's duel ended in the most painful way possible, leaving Dodger Blue with a bitter taste to end the series.
For all the tension, the game came down to a few key moments: 18 total hits between the two clubs, but only three runs to show for it.
The game was deadlocked 0-0 for seven innings before the Cardinals finally broke through in the eighth. But the Dodgers, as they so often do, had an answer. In the top of the ninth, Shohei Ohtani sparked a rally with an infield single, then showed off his elite baserunning by advancing to third on a Mookie Betts single. He sprinted home on a wild pitch to tie the game, a brilliant display of hustle that seemed to flip the script. The celebration was short-lived. In the bottom of the ninth, a leadoff ground-rule double by Aaron Burman put the pressure right back on Ben Casparius, who ultimately took the loss after Burman scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly.
Despite Casparius being tagged with the loss, you can't hang this one on the bullpen. The relief corps was largely magnificent, a continuing bright spot during this recent stretch of .500 baseball. Alex Vesia was electric, coming in to record crucial strikeouts and keep the game scoreless. It was a tough break in an otherwise stellar outing for the 'pen. The front office is clearly trying to keep this unit fresh and effective, making a move just before the game by recalling right-hander Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioning Jack Little. It's a sign that they know these close games will be won or lost by the arms coming out of the bullpen.
While the pitching kept the Dodgers in the game, the offense struggled to deliver the knockout blow. Nine hits is a respectable number, but converting those into just a single run—scored on a wild pitch, no less—is a recipe for a tight loss. Players like Kiké Hernández battled, delivering a key two-out single, but the timely, run-scoring hits were missing. The absence of Max Muncy, who remains on the injured list, is palpable. His power and presence in the middle of the order are sorely missed, and the team is still trying to find consistent production to fill that void.
This loss stings, there's no denying it. But it's another reminder that in July, every pitch and every at-bat is magnified. The Dodgers have the talent, a bullpen that's proving its mettle, and superstars capable of creating runs out of thin air. Now, they just need to put it all together. As the team looks to bounce back, they'll need the offense to wake up and support the strong pitching staff, a group that now includes the fresh arm of Emmet Sheehan. It's time to turn these nail-biters into wins.
