Cardinals Shut Down Shohei Ohtani Like No Other Team Has

The St. Louis Cardinals had a successful weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite a loss on Sunday, to say the least.

The young Cardinals have been great so far this season and fans around the league outside of St. Louis were able to see them in action against the two-time reigning World Series champions. St. Louis won the series and took two games out of three and put the league on notice.

After the series, the Cardinals are 20-14 on the season and are tied with the Cincinnati Reds for second place in the National League Central. Both the Cardinals and the Reds are two games behind the Chicago Cubs for first place in the division. If the Cardinals were in the American League, they would have the third-best overall record in the league behind the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.

One thing that stood out from the Cardinals' series against the Dodgers was how they handled two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. The four-time Most Valuable Player didn't record a base hit against St. Louis. Overall, Ohtani went 0-for-12 in the series. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat pointed out that this is the most at-bats Ohtani has recorded in a single series of at least three games without a hit.

The Cardinals Shut Down Shohei Ohtani Over The Weekend

May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on after striking out against the St. Louis Cardinals in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"Shohei Ohtani went 0-12 this weekend, which is the most ABs he has ever recorded in a single series of at least three games without a hit," Jones wrote.

The Cardinals certainly know how to shut down superstars around the league, huh? Paul Skenes is arguably the best overall pitcher in baseball, and yet the Cardinals have his number. Now, it looks like that's the case with Ohtani as well.

Although the Cardinals lost on Sunday, it's hard not to be excited about this team if you're a fan of St. Louis. The Cardinals traded Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan and yet this team is significantly better than last year.

In the club's first 34 games this season, they have gone 20-14. Last year, St. Louis was 15-19 through 34 games. The Cardinals are betting on this young core and they are making the most of their opportunities so far. It certainly helps that both JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker look like stars for this club to build around at 23 years old.

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