 really quality at-bats and starting to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but I think if you look at our lineup, there's guys that are really grinding that aren't swinging the way we're capable of.''Los Angeles is within a half-game of the Colorado Rockies for the NL West lead, and they've powered nearer to the top of the standings behind Bellinger's early contributions. Bellinger connected in the fourth - it was his ninth home run in May, tying Joc Pederson and James Loney for the Dodgers rookie record for home runs in a month. Bellinger leads the team with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs, thriving in his first exposure in the major leagues.''I just try to be consistent every day,'' Bellinger said. ''Sometimes in the outfield I kind of just look around, but, yeah, it's real, and I just try to keep going.''Hill (2-2) recovered from a bout of wildness in his last start to pitch five innings, giving up one run and two hits. In his previous outing, also against the Cardinals, he permitted five runs on four hits and seven walks in four innings. Hill held the Cardinals hitless until Aledmys Diaz singled to lead off the fifth.''We made some adjustments this week, mechanical adjustments, and proved to be successful and feel much more comfortable where I'm at now,'' Hill said. ''Getting my hand out of my glove, getting timing down, and all that stuff was huge.''Mike Leake (5-3) entered the game leading the majors with a 1.91 ERA, but allowed a season-high four runs in 6 2/3 innings.''He's been terrific. Seven innings and six hits, he gives us a chance there,'' Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. ''We just couldn't get anything going offensively. Those are the days we need to offensively pick him up because he's been so shutdown.''Los Angeles got all the offense it needed in the third as Utley opened with his third home run of the season and second against St. Louis. Corey Seager later drove in Yasiel Puig with a two-out single. Puig's sacrifice fly in the seventh snapped Leake's streak of nine quality starts to open the season. Paul DeJong got two hits in his first career major league start after making his debut Sunday for the Cardinals. Brandon Morrow pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth in his season debut for the Dodgers after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma City. FLORIDA BOUNDThe Cardinals optioned OF Randal Grichuk to High-A Palm Beach before the game. He was batting .222 with four home runs and 19 RBIs, and had just five hits in 37 at bats with 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games. He hit 24 homers for St. Louis last year. The Cardinals want him to work on his plate approach at a lower level, rather than at Triple-A. TRAINER'S ROOMDodgers: LHP Alex Wood was put on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to May 27 with inflammation in a joint in his upper body. Cardinals: LHP Zach Duke threw a side session in extended spring training as he continues to recover from elbow surgery in October. ... OF Jose Martinez was activated from the disabled list prior to the game after missing 18 games with a left groin strain sustained on May 6 at Atlanta. UP NEXTDodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (4-2, 5.08 ERA) is scheduled to face the Cardinals for his second straight start. He is 2-0 with a 4.22 ERA in two career starts versus St. Louis. Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.66 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts at home this season.)
Time: 2:15 PM EDT Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo., 63102 ST. LOUIS -- Paul DeJong might face quite a task Monday when the St. Louis Cardinals start a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium. Less than 24 hours after homering in his first major league at-bat, DeJong might have to follow it up with his first big league start. With left-hander Rich Hill scheduled to take the mound for Los Angeles, there is a chance DeJong could pick up a game at second base, third base or shortstop. Regardless, DeJong did something in the ninth inning Sunday at Coors Field that every kid dreams about when playing ball in the backyard. He cracked a towering solo shot off Colorado closer Greg Holland as a pinch hitter, although it merely served as window dressing to the Rockies' 8-4 victory." I was pretty amped," DeJong said. "I couldn't really feel my legs. I just kept watching it, and it kept going. It was amazing." Less amazing from a St. Louis perspective Sunday was the bullpen and defense, which teamed up to turn a potential dramatic rally into the team's eighth loss in 11 games by coughing up four runs in the eighth inning. Slumping Matt Bowman gave up all four runs, although the defense's failure to make a couple of plays didn't help. It was the latest failure for a bullpen that has allowed a whopping 29 runs during the Cardinals' past 11 games. By contrast, Los Angeles' relief corps bailed out Clayton Kershaw on Sunday when the staff ace endured a rare poor outing. Kershaw gave up 11 hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings during a 9-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The bullpen worked 4 2/3 hitless innings, with Josh Fields earning the win as the Dodgers polished off a sweep of the defending World Series champions." It was a great series win," Kershaw said. "No one gave up a run but me." Los Angeles (31-20) trails Colorado by 1 1/2 games in the National League West, having won eight of its past 10 games. One of those losses occurred Wednesday night to St. Louis (24-23), thanks in large part to the performance of the starters who will match up again on Monday. While Cardinals right-hander Mike Leake (5-2, 1.91 ERA) cruised through eight innings on just 98 pitches, allowing just one run and taking the league lead in ERA from Kershaw, Hill (1-2, 4.76) couldn't have found the plate if he had tried to run the ball over it. Hill issued a career-high seven walks in an ugly four-inning outing, leading to a season-high five runs. He has walked 12 in 17 innings over just four starts, as he has spent two stints on the disabled list with blisters. In his career against St. Louis, Hill is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA over six starts, even though he has allowed a batting average of just .202. Leake is 5-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 11 career starts against the Dodgers. If he notches three strikeouts in this start, he would reach 900 for his career.
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