Dodgers playing against the Cards they were dealt

Taking into account what happened in the first two games of this series against the Cardinals, carrying a certain pessimism into the final game of this series would be reasonable. Depending on the outcome of this matchup, this could qualify as the most frustrating series of the year—once being blown

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What is the story about?

Taking into account what happened in the first two games of this series against the Cardinals, carrying a certain pessimism into the final game of this series would be reasonable. Depending on the outcome of this matchup, this could qualify as the most frustrating series of the year—once being blown out and a second time seeing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tanner Scott surrender a three-run lead with the Dodgers on their way to the first loss in extras this season. Then again, you look at the pitching

matchup of Tarik Skubal against Quinn Matthews—a rookie making his fifth start—and that pessimism doesn’t feel as justifiable.

That’s the thing about the 2026 Dodgers, which defines this next game and plenty of other specific matchups amidst their worst moments—it doesn’t matter what the recent outlook is; once you get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon, most concerns naturally drift away. Skubal knew he was joining a powerhouse when he was traded to the Dodgers, but in actuality—at least up to this point—he has needed every ounce of his dominance to avoid a losing record in his first month at a new club. With the offense far from the height of its powers, Skubal has received a mere three runs of support per game across his five starts. And the Dodgers’ three wins in Skubal’s starts have all come in one-run games.

Beyond the excruciating losses, a theme of this series is the massive production both teams are getting from their shortstops. Who would have guessed that Mookie Betts would have four extra-base hits in this series and still be outslugged by the Cards’ ninth-hole hitter, Thomas Saggesse? Saggese is responsible for three of the Cardinals’ seven home runs this series—two more than he had in the entire 2026 season prior to visiting Dodger Stadium. Long-term, though, for the Dodgers, there are few more impactful developments than Betts kicking it up a notch or two.