Freddie Freeman’s milestone home run not enough to bring Dodgers back
Freeman’s 300th career home run is a grand slam, but Julio Urias gives up four home runs in one inning and the Dodgers never quite recover in a 16-8 loss
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, gets a hug from teammate Miguel Rojas after hitting a grand slam for his 300th career home run during the sixth inning of their loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Juan Yepez, left, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias, right, during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts doubles during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts doubles during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez hits a two-run double during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright pauses on the mound after giving up a two-run double to the Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez during the first inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, right, talks with catcher Willson Contreras during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas, right, is tagged out at first base by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt during the first inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas throws to first base but is not able to turn a double play after forcing out the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado at second as second baseman Miguel Vargas looks on during the second inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Oscar Mercado singles during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Oscar Mercado, right, is safe at second for a stolen base ahead of the tag from Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras watches the flight of his three-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras tosses his bat as he watches the flight of his three-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras, left, rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run off of Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias pauses on the mound after giving up a three-run home run to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Juan Yepez hits a solo home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Juan Yepez hits a solo home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Juan Yepez tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias walks to the mound with a new ball after giving up a solo home run to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Juan Yepez during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias walks to the top of the mound after giving up a solo home run to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman during the third inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul DeJong hits a solo home run during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
Dodgers relief pitcher Phil Bickford throws to the plate during the fourth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Dodgers relief pitcher Phil Bickford, left, during the fourth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman watches the flight of his grand slam during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman watches the flight of his grand slam during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam off of St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera, left, during the sixth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman gestures skyward as he rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam for his 300th career home run during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman circles the bases after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, gets a hug from teammate Miguel Rojas after hitting a grand slam for his 300th career home run during the sixth inning of their loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, gets a hug from teammate Miguel Rojas after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, gets a hug from teammate Miguel Rojas after hitting a grand slam as teammate Trayce Thompson, left, watches during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy watches his solo home run as he begins to run the bases during the seventh inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera pauses at the back of the mound after giving up a solo home run to the Dodgers’ Max Muncy during the seventh inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, left, is congratulated by teammate David Peralta after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera sits in the dugout after being removed during the seventh inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Oscar Mercado catches a fly ball hit by the Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez for an out during the seventh inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan scores during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan dives for home plate to score a run ahead of the throw to Dodgers catcher Will Smith during the eighth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, right, scores past Dodgers catcher Will Smith during the eighth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, left, scores past Dodgers catcher Will Smith during the eighth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras follows through on a three-run home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Oscar Mercado, left, scores on a wild pitch by Dodgers relief pitcher Yency Almonte, right, during the eighth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Dodgers outfielder James Outman is not able to catch a ball hit for a home run by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman during the eighth inning on Thursday night in St. Louis. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras celebrates the final out of their 16-8 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
ST. LOUIS — The Dodgers raised glasses of champagne to Freddie Freeman on Thursday night. The pitching staff might feel a need for harder liquor these days.
The St. Louis Cardinals teed off on the Dodgers, hitting seven home runs including four in the third inning off Julio Urias and beating the Dodgers, 16-8, in the opener of a four-game series.
The Dodgers briefly made a game of it thanks to a historic home run of their own. Freddie Freeman became the 155th player in baseball history with 300 home runs, reaching the milestone in grand fashion – a bases-loaded drive over the wall in left-center field off Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera in the sixth inning.
Freeman is only the second of those 155 to reach 300 with a grand slam, joining Ruben Sierra who did it in 2004.
After the game – despite the ugly score – the Dodgers toasted Freeman’s achievement (as they did following Clayton Kershaw’s 200th career win earlier this season). Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Manager Dave Roberts and Jason Heyward (who was on the field as an Atlanta Brave for Freeman’s first big-league homer) offered remarks.
“I think I hit the wall three times since I had 299,” said Freeman, who did indeed triple off the wall in his previous at-bat. “You wish you’d do these things in wins. It’s still pretty cool. I don’t really like reminiscing on anything because we’ve got a game tomorrow and it doesn’t really matter. But 300 home runs is quite a bit of home runs. I’ll call my dad tonight and enjoy it then worry about tomorrow.”
Worrisome for the Dodgers, Urias is producing “quite a bit of home runs” as well.
Thursday was the fifth time in his past seven starts that Urias has allowed multiple home runs. The Cardinals’ saturation bombing moved him into a tie (with Kansas City Royals right-hander Jordan Lyles) for the major-league lead with 14 homers allowed this season.
“It was just a bad game. Not even just that inning, it was a bad game entirely,” Urias said through an interpreter.
“I missed and I missed badly and I paid the price for it.”
A two-run double by J.D. Martinez gave the Dodgers a first-inning lead but the Cardinals exploded in the third inning.
After a leadoff single by Oscar Mercado and a one-out walk of Paul Goldschmidt, Willson Contreras crushed a first-pitch changeup from Urias, sending it 434 feet out to center field for a three-run home run.
Nolan Arenado popped out for the second out of the inning but Juan Yepez, Nolan Gorman and Paul DeJong hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a span of 12 pitches.
“Tonight the story was he just didn’t have command,” Roberts said. “There were a lot of pitches that were just middle-middle, breaking balls that didn’t get there, changeups that were in the strike zone that were up, working behind. Those guys are swinging the bats really well. When you run into a team like that (and) you’re behind, you’re making pitches over the plate, they’re going to make you pay and that’s what they did tonight.”
The four homers in the inning – 1,596 feet worth of long balls – came on three different pitches. Contreras and Yepez hit changeups, Gorman a slurve and DeJong a fastball. But they did indeed have one thing in common – they were all over the heart of the plate.
Nonetheless, the barrage left the Dodgers questioning whether Urias might have been tipping his pitches in some way.
“I hate to discount what they did. It just seemed like they were on everything,” Roberts said. “Obviously I know that hitting guy over there (former Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward). It’s something he prides himself on.
“(Urias) didn’t make good pitches. They were on everything. But I think we’ve got to clean our kitchen … as well and look into that. But I don’t know definitively.”
Urias was pulled after that inning, a season-low in innings and pitches (68) that left the Dodgers’ bullpen to answer another early wakeup call. Dodgers starting pitchers have combined for only 12 innings over the past four days while the relievers have pitched 26.
Phil Bickford was first up and he gave up three more runs including two on a home run by Arenado that made it 9-3 in the fourth inning. Roberts took Betts out of the game.
“It was 9-3 and knowing where we’re at, the way they were swinging the bats … if we could kind of save some innings, some legs in this stretch I felt that was smart,” Roberts said.
An error by Paul Goldschmidt extended the sixth inning long enough for Trayce Thompson (in Betts’ spot) to load the bases with a walk, setting up Freeman’s grand slam. A leadoff home run by Max Muncy in the seventh made it a one-run game.
Fresh up from Triple-A, Andre Jackson held the Cardinals scoreless over three innings. But Roberts tried to squeeze another one out of him.
“Yeah, it was (a decision prompted by the state of the Dodgers’ bullpen),” Roberts said. “He was throwing the baseball well. He gave us everything he had. I tried to get him through that fourth inning. Playing from behind all night, I didn’t want to use any of the leverage guys and we had a few guys that were down as well.”
The Cardinals had another explosion in them. They put the game away with seven runs in the eighth off Jackson and Yency Almonte. Almonte gave up Contreras’ second three-run home run of the game and Gorman’s second homer of the night.
Bill Plunkett graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He has worked for daily newspapers as a sportswriter since 1983, in Southern California since 1987 and at the Orange County Register since 1999.
