Max Scherzer struck out 13 batters and didn’t allow an earned run in eight innings as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers shut down the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Monday.
Chris Taylor hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers (87-51), who won for the fifth time in seven games to remain within one game of the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
Scherzer (13-4) dominated his hometown Cardinals, limiting them to six hits, no walks and one unearned run. He ran his season strikeout season to 210 and became the ninth pitcher in major league history to post nine seasons of 200-plus strikeouts.
The Dodgers have won all seven games Scherzer has pitched since arriving in a trade with the Washington Nationals.
The Cardinals (69-67) lost for the fourth time in their last five games to fall 3 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the second wild-card spot.
Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (0-2) allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks in five innings.
The Dodgers jumped Mikolas in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.
Trea Turner led off with a ground-rule double, moved to third base on Max Muncy’s single, and scored on a single by Mookie Betts. Muncy moved to third on that play and scored on Justin Turner’s double-play grounder.
Corey Seager walked and Taylor followed with his homer.
In the third inning, Betts drew a walk, took second base on catcher Andrew Knizner’s errant pickoff attempt and scored on Seager’s single up the middle to put the Dodgers up 5-0.
The Cardinals finally broke through against Scherzer in the sixth inning when Tommy Edman hit a single, raced to third to Paul Goldschmidt’s single and scored on catcher Austin Barnes’ passed ball.
–Field Level Media