Sep 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Turner hit two homers and drove in three runs as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 Tuesday night.
Will Smith went 4-for-4 with a homer and two runs for the Dodgers (88-51), who won for the sixth time in their past eight games.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave former Cardinals star Albert Pujols a start at first base before his old fans. After receiving a standing ovation in the first inning, Pujols hit a solo homer to left.
Nolan Arenado drove in both runs for the reeling Cardinals (69-68), who lost their fourth straight game.
St. Louis starting pitcher J.A. Happ (8-8) allowed four runs on seven innings in five innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk.
Due to multiple injuries to their rotation, the Dodgers went with a bullpen start, beginning with Corey Knebel, who allowed a run in his only inning.
Evan Phillips relieved him and allowed a run in his 1 2/3 innings. The Dodgers used seven more relievers to get through the game.
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Alex Vesia (3-1), their third hurler, got the victory after striking out the only batter he faced.
Following Pujols’ homer, the Cardinals tied the game 1-1 in their half of the first. Dylan Carlson reached on a one-out infield single, advanced to third on Tyler O’Neill’s ground-rule double and scored on Arenado’s sacrifice fly.
O’Neill hit another double in the third inning and scored on Arenado’s single into left field to put the Cardinals up 2-1.
The Dodgers rallied in the fourth inning. Infield singles by Corey Seager and Smith, a one-out RBI double by Steve Souza Jr., then Cody Bellinger’s run-scoring grounder put the visitors ahead 3-2.
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Turner hit a solo homer in the fifth inning, and Smith’s solo homer in the sixth inning off reliever Alex Reyes lifted the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2.
Turner’s two-run homer in the ninth inning off Kwang Hyun Kim made it 7-2.
–Field Level Media