Saturday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals came right down to the wire.
After St. Louis jumped out to an early 3–0 lead, the Dodgers fought back and tied the game on JD Martinez’s three-run homer.
The Cardinals retook the lead on a three-run shot by Nolan Gorman that proved to be the difference.
But the Dodgers struck out in the ninth to make the score 6–5.
On a 3–2 pitch, Giovanni Gallegos grounded out to Mookie Betts to end the game, leaving a runner stranded on second base.
After the game, the Cardinals trolled the Dodgers on Twitter with a photo of Bates’ reaction to the last strike call and a caption that read: “Hang it up in the Louvre.”
Hang it in the Louvre. pic.twitter.com/DBWKLs0p3m
— St.Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 21, 2023
Of course, it wouldn’t make its way to Paris or be hung in the Louvre, but it was symbolic of how things were going for the cardinals.
After starting 10–24 and having the worst record in the National League, the team got hot.
Now, they’ve gained five games in the NL Central and are out of last place, at least for now.
But the game went to the wire.
With the Dodgers touching Ryan Helsley for two runs in the top of the ninth, and with a runner on second, Bates was all that stood between St. Louis and another win.
The count held out, but Gallegos managed to freeze Bates on a 3–2 pitch to earn the team’s 10th win in their last 13 games to clinch at least a series split with Los Angeles.
next:
Nolan Gorman discusses his latest clutch home run