Taylor delivers winning blow in 14-pitch at-bat for LA

LOS ANGELES — Chris Taylor drove in three runs with a tiebreaking double that capped a 14-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning, rallying the Los Angeles Dodgers past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 on Monday night to snap a three-game skid.

Taylor fouled off nine pitches — four in a row twice — by Genesis Cabrera before delivering the two-out, bases-loaded double for a 6-3 lead. Two batters earlier, Cabrera issued a bases-loaded walk to Will Smith that tied the game. The left-hander threw 34 pitches, 20 for strikes, in two-thirds of an inning.

Taylor also homered in the second and doubled in the eighth, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.

Trevor Bauer (6-3) allowed four runs — three earned — and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked one.

Gavin Lux hit a pair of solo homers for the Dodgers on manager Dave Roberts’ 49th birthday.

Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty exited with left side tightness after five innings. He equaled his season high with nine strikeouts and walked one. The right-hander gave up two runs and two hits against his favorite team while growing up in nearby Burbank.

With Flaherty gone, the Dodgers batted around in the sixth. Ryan Helsley (3-3) gave up a double to Max Muncy and a single to Justin Turner. Cabrera came in and loaded the bases on a walk to Cody Bellinger before walking Smith to force in the tying run.

All four of the Cardinals’ runs came on three homers off Bauer. Justin Williams went deep leading off the sixth with a shot that hit the screen on the right-field foul pole. Tommy Edman reached on second baseman Zach McKinstry’s second throwing error of the game and scored on Dylan Carlson’s homer for a 3-2 lead. Tyler O’Neill added a solo shot in the seventh that left the Cardinals trailing 6-4.

Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Yadier Molina combined to go 0 for 11 for St. Louis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: SS Paul DeJong (left rib non-displaced fracture) will have further imaging done Thursday in St. Louis. He’s making progress, playing catch, throwing and taking light swings.

Dodgers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (right shoulder inflammation) is expected to throw five innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. If all goes well, he’ll rejoin the Dodgers after that. … RHP Brusdar Graterol (right forearm tightness) was to throw a simulated game for Oklahoma City on Monday. … OF AJ Pollock (hamstring) was set to play for OKC on Monday and Tuesday before rejoining the Dodgers later this week. … OF Mookie Betts was back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday when an allergic reaction affected his eyes. He took medication and was able to hit in the cage during the game.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP John Gant (4-3, 1.81 ERA) starts Tuesday against the Dodgers for just the second time in his career and first since 2018. He held them hitless in three relief appearances in 2019, with the Cardinals winning all three games.

Dodgers: It’ll be a bullpen game on Tuesday.


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