51ºÚÁÏ

Liberatore and the Cardinals wrap up a three-game series with the rubber game Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 3:10 p.m. (51ºÚÁÏ time).

The Cardinals dropped Tuesday's game 12-6, allowing more runs than they have in a game in the last four months.

A win Wednesday would give the Cardinals their first series win over a team that now has a winning record since late June.

The one series win the Cardinals have had in their past nine series entering this one came against the Nationals, a team with one of the worst records in baseball. And even that came nearly a month ago (July 8-10).

With a win Wednesday, the Cardinals would also take the season series from the Dodgers for the first time since 2019.

The left-hander Liberatore (6-9, 3.96 ERA) will have to push through his recent struggles, both small and large, if he is to lead the team to a series win.

He has either been ineffective or inefficient in each of his last four starts while not recording an out in the sixth inning of any of them.

In his first year as a full-time big-league starter and having surpassed his MLB season-high for innings, Liberatore has shown some signs of wearing down. In his last three outings, his fastball's average velocity has been lower that in any three-game stretch this season up to that point.

This is despite a two-week break around the All-Star break intended to give him extra recovery time.

Right-hander Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 2.40 ERA) will start for the Dodgers. He underwent elbow surgery in 2023 and didn't pitch again until this June. In seven appearances in 2025, he hasn't recorded more than nine outs. The Dodgers will forgo the designated hitter and Ohtani will bat, hitting leadoff.

51ºÚÁÏ is 57-58 and trails San Diego by 6 1/2 games for the final wild-card spot

With a 66-48 mark, the Dodgers lead the National League West by three games.

How to watch Cardinals at Dodgers

When: 3:10 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .

Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.

Lineups

CARDINALS

1. Brendan Donovan, 2B

2. Iván Herrera, DH

3. Alec Burleson, 1B

4. Lars Nootbaar, LF

5. Masyn Winn, SS

6. Nolan Gorman, 3B

7. Jordan Walker, RF

8. Pedro Pagés, C

9. Victor Scott II, CF

P: Matthew Liberatore, LHP

DODGERS

1. Shohei Ohtani, P

2. Mookie Betts, SS

3. Will Smith, C

4. Freddie Freeman, 1B

5. Teoscar Hernández, RF

6. Andy Pages, CF

7. Miguel Rojas, 2B

8. Alex Call, LF

9. Alex Freeland, 3B

P: Shohei Ohtani, RHP

Injury report

Willson Contreras, 1B (stomach flu): Contreras missed the final game of the two-city road trip with an illness. He is expected to return by the weekend and the start of the Cardinals' three-series home stand. Updated Aug. 6

John King, LHP (left oblique strain): King has started some rehab work back in 51ºÚÁÏ that involves weight-room training and agility work. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 30 after he left the previous night's game in the middle of an at-bat with left side tightness. Updated Aug. 6

Nolan Arenado, 3B (right shoulder strain): Arenado is headed to Florida on Friday to continue his recovery at the Cardinals' player development campus in Jupiter, Florida. That will allow him access to backfield games, if he wishes and is cleared to do so. Arenado went on the 10-day injured list Aug. 1 with a shoulder injury he’s spent the past month trying to play through. There is no timetable for his return. Updated Aug. 6

Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain): Lefty starter remains on a throwing program in Jupiter, trying to overcome some setbacks as he increased the intensity of his throws through the course of the season. He's visited 51ºÚÁÏ for evaluation to monitor if the injury worsens. Thompson has been sidelined since the start of March and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early April. There is no timetable for his return to the mound. Updated Aug. 6