Dodgers vs Cardinals: Live Score, Key Highlights & How to Watch Tonight’s MLB Showdown

Baseball fans get another chapter in the classic National League showdown tonight when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT (8:15 p.m. ET) with regional coverage on Bally Sports Midwest and SportsNet LA, plus an MLB.TV stream for out-of-market viewers. Pitching matchup • Dodgers: LHP Justin Wrobleski (1-1, 8.00 ERA) makes just his second career start against St. Louis. The rookie earned his first 2025 win on May 15 with four shutout relief innings at Oakland and is being stretched back into the rotation. • Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.65 ERA) comes off a dominant 10-strikeout shutout of Texas and owns a 3.35 ERA in seven lifetime starts vs. L.A. Key storylines 1. Contact vs. strikeouts – The Dodgers rank top-three in the NL in contact rate and fewest K’s, while St. Louis’ staff has produced the second-fewest strikeouts in MLB. Gray’s swing-and-miss stuff will have to carry the load for the Cardinals rotation tonight. 2. Superstar power surge – Shohei Ohtani (14 HR), Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman (NL-leading .363 AVG) headline a Dodgers order that has averaged 5.7 runs since Memorial Day. Freeman rested Thursday and is expected to start at first base. – Nolan Arenado (.228) is hitting just .190 with runners in scoring position over the last two weeks; the Cards need the eight-time All-Star to protect Willson Contreras in the cleanup spot. 3. Bullpen reinforcements – Los Angeles may activate late-inning arms Kirby Yates (hamstring) and Michael Kopech (shoulder) as early as tonight, giving manager Dave Roberts two high-leverage options for the seventh and eighth innings. – St. Louis is still without closer Giovanny Gallegos (undisclosed) but Ryan Helsley (22 IP, 3.27 ERA) has stabilized the ninth. Projected starting lineups Dodgers 1) Shohei Ohtani DH 2) Mookie Betts SS 3) Freddie Freeman 1B 4) Teoscar Hernández RF 5) Max Muncy 3B 6) Andy Pages CF 7) Michael Conforto LF 8) Tommy Edman 2B 9) Dalton Rushing C Cardinals 1) Lars Nootbaar LF 2) Masyn Winn SS 3) Brendan Donovan 2B 4) Willson Contreras 1B 5) Iván Herrera DH 6) Nolan Arenado 3B 7) Ryan Vilade RF 8) Pedro Pagés C 9) Victor Scott II CF Recent form • Dodgers: 6-3 on current road swing; rallied past Mets 6-5 Thursday behind Ohtani’s three-hit game. • Cardinals: 4-6 in last 10; dropped series to Kansas City, surrendering 22 runs in three games. Weather & betting odds Forecast calls for clear skies, 81°F at first pitch. Early consensus lines: Cardinals ‑121 favorites, total 8.5 runs. What it means Los Angeles leads the NL West by four games and is trying to keep pace with Atlanta for the league’s best record. St. Louis sits two back in the NL Central and opens a critical nine-game homestand that includes Toronto and Atlanta. How to watch & stream • TV: Bally Sports Midwest, SportsNet LA • Streaming: MLB.TV (out-of-market), Fubo, DirecTV Stream • Radio: KMOX 1120 AM (STL), AM 570 LA Sports (LAD) Bottom line “Dodgers vs Cardinals” always delivers October-type drama, and with Sonny Gray opposite an emerging Justin Wrobleski plus heavyweight bats like Ohtani, Freeman and Arenado, tonight’s matchup has pennant-race implications even in early June. Expect a packed Busch Stadium, a playoff atmosphere, and plenty of search-worthy highlights before the night is over.