The game was decided in the first inning. St. Louis jumped on Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan for three runs in the opening frame and cruised to a 7-2 victory at Busch Stadium, extending their winning streak to four games.
Jordan Walker carried the Cardinals offense with a perfect 4-for-4 night, driving in 2 runs and scoring twice. The outfielder raised his season average to .308 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI through 31 games. Nolan Gorman provided the early power with a two-run homer in the first inning, while Alec Burleson added a solo shot in the third.
The Cardinals struck immediately against Sheehan. Herrera scored in the first inning, then Gorman homered to right field, bringing Walker home for a 3-0 lead. Burleson's 390-foot homer to right in the third extended the margin to 4-1. St. Louis broke the game open in the seventh when Walker doubled to left, scoring Herrera, and Burleson scored on a fielding error by left fielder Teoscar Hernández. Church grounded into a fielder's choice that brought Walker home for the final margin.
Sheehan struggled through 4.2 innings for Los Angeles, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 8. His ERA sits at 5.23. The Dodgers managed only two runs despite 7 hits, getting an RBI double from Max Muncy in the second and a sacrifice fly from Kyle Tucker in the sixth.
Matthew Liberatore earned the victory for St. Louis, allowing 2 runs over 5.2 innings with his ERA at 4.50. The Cardinals improved to 18-13 while Los Angeles fell to 20-11, dropping their second straight game.