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Gavin Lux: Dodgers ‘Needed’ Series Win Over Cardinals

Matt Borelli
3 Min Read
Aug 18, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Alec Burleson (41) is out at second base as Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux (9) turns a double play in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their road trip with a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in a game that was dominated by pitching.

Clayton Kershaw turned in his best start of the season by allowing just four hits over six scoreless innings. It was the left-hander’s first time going that deep into an outing since June 27, 2023.

Sonny Gray was also efficient as he yielded two runs in five innings of work. However, he constantly dealt with traffic on the basepaths as 10 runners reached against him.

Gavin Lux was pleased with the team’s offensive efforts despite only scoring two runs and felt they came away with a much-needed series win, as seen on SportsNet LA:

“A lot of good at-bats. We were just really one big hit away from blowing that game open. One through nine, I think we had pretty good at-bats. Obviously we’d like to score more than two runs with some of those situations, but that’s the way baseball goes. Kersh was great today too. So I think overall it was a good series win and definitely one we needed.”

The Dodgers had nine hits in their series finale against the Cardinals, with Mookie Betts (two), Lux (three) and Miguel Rojas (three) accounting for all but one of them. Shohei Ohtani had the only other hit, which was his National League-leading 39th home run of the season.

As Lux alluded to, the Dodgers squandered early opportunities and did not get on the board until Ohtani’s solo shot in the fifth inning. The team finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base, which can explain their low run total.

The Dodgers nevertheless finished their road trip with a 4-3 record and now return home for a nine-game homestand that includes series against the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles.

Gavin Lux boosting Dodgers lineup

Lux has been on a remarkable tear during the second half, and on Sunday hit third in the Dodgers lineup because of Freddie Freeman’s finger injury.

Manager Dave Roberts preached patience with Lux in his first season back from LCL and ACL surgery, and the Dodgers have been rewarded for that confidence.

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Matt Borelli covers the Los Angeles Dodgers as a staff writer for Dodger Blue and holds similar responsibilities for Lakers Nation, a sister site with an emphasis on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also contributes to RamsNewswire.com and RaidersNewswire.com. An avid fantasy sports player, Matt is a former 2014 MLB Beat the Streak co-champion. His favorite Dodgers moment, among a list of many, is Clayton Kershaw's no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies in 2014. Follow him on Twitter: @mcborelli.