Dodgers lose again with Ramirez, 7-4 to Cardinals
ST. LOUIS — The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their second straight game since acquiring Hanley Ramirez, 7-4 to St. Louis on Thursday as David Freese and Matt Carpenter each had three of the Cardinals’ season-high 18 hits.
Obtained a day earlier from Miami, Ramiez started at third base and batted fifth for the second straight game. He had an infield hit, two walks and a steal, and he hit into a double-play grounder. The 2009 NL batting champion is 2 for 6 with three walks an RBI with his new team but the Dodgers are 0-2 since the trade and have lost three in a row overall.
Matt Holliday hit his 17th homer, his third on a 6-1 homestand for St. Louis, which fell behind 4-2 by allowing four runs in the fifth and then scored four in the bottom half. Allen Craig and Tony Cruz each had two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals, who entered six games back in the NL Central.
Freese left the game with cramping in his right calf for a pinch hitter in the sixth, an inning after getting a bit of medical attention following a two-run single for the go-ahead hit. He was 11 for 20 on the homestand.
Matt Kemp had an infield hit and was 2 for 16 with seven strikeouts and no RBIs in the series.
Jake Westbrook (9-8) pitched seven innings, lasting at least that long for the third straight start. He allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits with six strikeouts.
Jason Motte pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.
Chris Capuano (10-6) gave up six runs and 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 7.90 ERA at 7-year-old Busch Stadium. He gave up two hits the first three innings but retired only three of his last 12 batters.
Los Angeles plans to call up a minor leaguer to start Friday night in San Francisco.
Given a 2-0 lead, Westbrook had thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings and had struck out four in a row before the Dodgers opened the fifth with four singles in five pitches, taking the lead on RBI hits by Juan Rivera and Cruz.
A third run scored on Matt Treanor’s infield hit when second baseman Daniel Descalso relayed to third after cutting off the ball, and Freese made an error with wild throw to the plate in an attempt to catch Rivera.
Capuano contributed his third RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly that made it 4-2 with two outs.
St. Louis went ahead in the bottom half on Freese’s hit and RBI singles by Craig and Luis Cruz. Holliday homered to straightaway center off Javy Guerra in the sixth.
NOTES:(at) RF Andre Ethier turned a nice double play to avoid further damage in the Cardinals’ two-run second when he caught Westbrook’s sinking liner and then threw to the plate just in time for C Matt Treanor’s tag on Matt Carpenter. ... Lance Lynn (12-4, 3.10) is 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in four career appearances against the Cubs heading into Friday’s start in Chicago. ... Lance Berkman missed his second straight start with a bruised right knee but could return Friday. ... Tyler Greene singled in the seventh for his first pinch hit in 13 at-bats this year. ... Carpenter was 3 for 5 after going just 2 for 13 the first six games of the homestand.