Dodgers fall to Cardinals 3-2 on Aug 5 despite Tyler Glasnow's gem. Freddie Freeman homered, but the offense vanished again in a frustrating home loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It’s a feeling that’s becoming all too familiar for Dodger fans. You watch your ace deal for seven brilliant innings, you see a flash of late-game hope, and then... nothing. The bats go silent, and a winnable game slips through your fingers. That was the story Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, a frustrating 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that felt like a microcosm of the team's post-All-Star break struggles.
Tyler Glasnow has a 2.17 ERA in nine starts since his return. He has zero wins to show for it.
Tyler Glasnow was simply electric. For seven innings, he carved up the Cardinals lineup, allowing just one run on three hits. It was the kind of dominant performance that should guarantee a win. But the Dodgers' offense couldn't provide the support. Freddie Freeman launched a solo shot, and Teoscar Hernández manufactured the tying run in the eighth with a double and some savvy baserunning, but that was it. The team managed just three hits all night. The gut punch came in the ninth when a pinch-hit single by Yohel Pozo sealed the Dodgers' fate. The game ended, poetically and painfully, with a spectacular diving catch by Lars Nootbaar to rob Mookie Betts, leaving Shohei Ohtani stranded on base.
The day wasn't all bad news, at least not before first pitch. Max Muncy made his long-awaited return from the injured list, slotting in at third base and bringing his powerful bat back to the lineup. Unfortunately, it was a 'one in, one out' situation, as utility man Tommy Edman landed on the 10-day IL with a sprained ankle just as he was getting back into the groove. To make room, RHP Jack Little was designated for assignment after a tough go in both the majors and Triple-A. The front office also made a depth move, claiming slugging first baseman Luken Baker off waivers from, ironically, the Cardinals. He'll head to OKC for now, but he provides some intriguing power potential for the organization.
Muncy's return was supposed to be a jolt for a lineup that has been inconsistent. Instead, the team looked flat. How can an offense with this much talent be held to three hits? It's the question on every fan's mind. Since the All-Star break, the team has been maddeningly hot and cold, and Tuesday was a deep freeze. With Edman out, the infield depth is being tested again, with Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland set to platoon at second. But the issue runs deeper than one or two players. The entire lineup needs to find its rhythm and start converting these incredible pitching performances into wins.
So where do the Dodgers go from here? They'll run it back against the Cardinals tomorrow, hoping a new day brings new results. But one thing is clear: they cannot keep wasting starts like the one Glasnow gave them. The pitching has been championship-caliber, but you can't win if you don't score. The bats need to wake up, and fast, before this frustrating stretch turns into a full-blown slump.
