By MATT PIKE
St. Louis starter Hunter Dobbins scattered six hits over six innings and JJ Wetherholt hit a home run in the sixth inning for the lone run the Cardinals needed for a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.
Dobbins, recalled from Triple-A Memphis for Wednesday’s start, struck out five and walked none over his six innings, improving to 2-1 on the season, to help St. Louis snap a four-game losing streak, avoid a series sweep, and end the Angels’ three-game win streak. Luis Gastelum threw a scoreless seventh, George Soriano had a 1-2-3 eighth and closer Riley O’Brien struck out Oswald Peraza with an 80-mph sweeper and Josh Lowe with a 98-mph sinker with two on in the ninth inning for his 26th save.
It was also a strong start for Angels starter Reid Detmers, who is expected to be a top target of contenders looking to acquire starting pitching before the August 3rd trade deadline, who blanked the Cardinals on one hit through five innings despite walking two to open the fifth. But with one out in the sixth, Detmers left a fastball up to Wetherholt, who lined his 15th home run of the season over the wall in center to break the tie and knock Detmers out of the game.
At the plate, the Cardinals managed just three hits on the day. Wetherholt was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI. Blaze Jordan was 1-for-3 and Masyn Winn was 1-for-2 with a walk for the other two St. Louis hits in the game.
St. Louis will return to Busch Stadium tomorrow for a makeup game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael McGreevy (4-7, 2.92 ERA, 71K's) starts for the Cardinals against Brandon Pfaadt (4-1, 4.58 ERA, 44K's) for the Diamondbacks. First pitch will be at 4:15pm.
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