Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Cardinals on October 7, 2021. The final score ended up being three to one in the Dodgers’ favor. The game itself was an exciting one. Both offenses were pretty slow, as shown in the final stats. However, the Dodgers were able to prevail with a home run from Chris Taylor. The game was interesting in the sense that it wasn’t a game between the team’s stars. Instead, both the Cardinals and the Dodgers had to rely on their bullpen players to seal the game. Many fans were hoping to see an intense matchup between stars Adam Wainwright and Max Scherzer. However, the two played fairly averagely. Adam Wainwright went for 5.1 innings, one run allowed on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. On the other hand, Max Scherzer allowed one run over 4.1 innings and three hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. 

St. Louis was able to catch the early lead with Tommy Edman. He was able to reach first base after a hit, narrowly stole second, advanced to third on a flyout, and was finally able to score on a wild pitch. A fly-out is essential when the batter hits a ball, and the defender can catch it before it hits the ground. A wild pitch is when the pitcher throws a ball so erratically that the catcher is not able to catch it. This allows the basemen to advance before the defenders can throw it back home. This series of plays were extremely impressive. However, these were the only points the Cardinals scored for the rest of the game. It ended with the Cardinals going zero for eleven with runners inside scoring position. Additionally, the Cardinals left eleven runners standing on bases. 

The Dodgers were quiet for the second innings but retaliated in the fourth. One of the team’s aces, Justin Turner, managed to hit a solo home run off a pitch from Wainwright. This tied the ballgame: one to one on both sides. It was quiet for the rest of the game until the ninth inning. Chris Taylor hit a home run for two, ending the game three to one. This means the Dodgers will be facing their rivals, San Francisco Giants, in the NLDS game series. Best of luck to both teams!