Saggese hits go-ahead single in the 10th in the Cardinals' 8-6 victory over the Dodgers
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) and first baseman Alec Burleson (41) are unable to catch a flyout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/William Liang
LOS ANGELES — Thomas Saggese hit a go-ahead, two-strike infield single in the 10th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals outlasted the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 on Wednesday night.
Nathan Church singled to center off reliever Brock Stewart (0-2), moving automatic runner José Fermín to third. He scored on Saggese's single to second for a 6-5 lead — St. Louis' first of the game. The Cardinals added two more runs on a double by Joshua Báez, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
The NL West-leading Dodgers have lost six of eight. Shohei Ohtani struck out four consecutive times for the first time this season, including in the 10th with an automatic runner at third.
The Dodgers had leads of 3-0, 5-2 and 5-4 before the Cardinals tied it in the eighth. Báez doubled off reliever Tanner Scott and scored on Alec Burleson’s sacrifice fly.
Los Angeles had the potential winning run on third in the ninth. Teoscar Hernández hit a ground-rule double and moved up on a wild pitch by Justin Bruihl (1-1), but pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández struck out and pinch-hitter Will Smith flied out to end threat.
Riley O'Brien pitched the 10th to earn his 35th save.
The Dodgers led 3-0 on Freddie Freeman's three-run drive that snapped his 47-game homerless streak in the first. The 416-foot shot to center — his first since July 3 — scored Ohtani, who walked, and Tommy Edman, who was hit by a pitch.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second base during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/William Liang
Besides Ohtani, Cardinals opener Brycen Mautz walked two more batters and gave up a single to Miguel Rojas while the Dodgers batted around in the inning.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked Fermín for his only baserunner through five innings.
Fermín broke up the no-hit bid with a single leading off the sixth. He was forced out on Church's fielder's choice groundout to short before Saggese homered, pulling the Cardinals to 3-2. Saggese had two of the Cardinals' five homers in a 13-8 win on Tuesday.
Yamamoto allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/William Liang
Betts' two-run shot off reliever George Soriano extended the Dodgers' lead to 5-2 in the sixth.
The Cardinals got within a run again in the seventh. Leo Bernal hit his first major league homer, a two-run shot, to cut the deficit to 5-4. He had a two-run single in his MLB debut on Tuesday.
Up next
Cardinals LHP Quinn Mathews (1-2, 5.03 ERA) was set to start the series finale Thursday against Dodgers LHP Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.84).
More MLB news
