Emmet Sheehan Takes Mound in Cardinals Vs Dodgers Opener
Emmet Sheehan takes the mound as cardinals vs dodgers opens in St. Louis on May 2, 2026, giving the Los Angeles right-hander his sixth start of the season. The Dodgers enter at 20-11 and first in the National League West, while the Cardinals arrive at 18-13 after a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sheehan gets the first look
Sheehan has worked 26.1 innings this season with a 4.78 ERA, 28 strikeouts and nine walks. His most recent start was his sharpest stretch yet: one run allowed over 6.1 innings with 10 strikeouts. That line is the reason the Dodgers are giving him the ball in a series opener that comes after they went 6-7 over their last 13 games.
Matthew Liberatore is on the other side for St. Louis in his seventh start of the year. He has a 4.75 ERA across 30.1 innings, with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks, and his last outing turned rough fast when he allowed five runs on eight hits over 3.1 innings against the Seattle Mariners.
Dodgers adjust the lineup
Los Angeles is also reshuffling behind Sheehan. Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland are out of the lineup, Miguel Rojas is starting at shortstop, and Chris Espinal is at second base.
Hernández moved into the cleanup spot against the left-hander, Tucker slid to No. 5, and Pages and Muncy swapped places in the batting order. The Dodgers are trying to pair those changes with a start from a pitcher who has already shown he can miss bats, while St. Louis brings momentum from its sweep into the first game of the three-game set.
St. Louis brings form
The contrast is real on the standings page. Los Angeles leads the division at 20-11, but its recent 6-7 stretch has slowed the pace. St. Louis sits third in the NL Central at 18-13 and has the cleaner recent line after finishing off Pittsburgh in four games.
For the Dodgers, the early answer is already in place: Sheehan has the ball, Rojas and Espinal are in the starting infield, and the order is built around a left-handed opponent who has been hit hard in his most recent turn. The opener in St. Louis gives Los Angeles a chance to reset the month with a rotation spot and a lineup tuned for the matchup.
