The St. Louis Cardinals dealt a crushing blow to the Los Angeles Dodgers comeback hopes on Monday night, thanks to one of the most jaw-dropping defensive plays of the season. With the game on the line in the ninth inning, Lars Nootbaar laid out for a full-extension diving catch that stopped the tying run from scoring and ultimately sealed a pivotal 3-2 win at Dodger Stadium.

It was a game full of tension and timely plays. The Cardinals, now 57-57, entered the matchup needing every win to keep pace in the tight NL playoff race. With both starters—Sonny Gray and Tyler Glasnow—dominating through seven innings, offense was at a premium. Masyn Winn launched a solo home run to give St. Louis an early edge, only to see Mookie Betts and company respond with a solo shot from Freddie Freeman to even the score at 1-1.

The turning point came in the eighth. Ivan Herrera broke the tie with a clutch home run off Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips. Though Los Angeles responded in the bottom half, tying the game at 2-2, the Cardinals reclaimed the lead in the ninth after Yohel Pozo delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 3-2.

Then came the dramatic finale.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani singled to bring the tying run aboard. Betts followed with a deep fly ball down the right-field line—one that seemed destined to drop. But Nootbaar raced to the spot, launched himself through the air, and made a game-saving grab that sent shockwaves through the stadium.

The MLB’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account captured the moment in a viral 17-second video that quickly racked up over 100,000 views.

“Lars Nootbaar makes an UNBELIEVABLE catch in the 9th 😱”

The catch prevented Los Angeles from tying the game and stopped Ohtani from advancing, shifting the momentum entirely. Following the incredible grab by the St. Louis outfielder, JoJo Romero retired the next two batters to close out the win and secure his second save of the season. With the victory, the club gained ground in the National League playoff race, while Los Angeles dropped to 65-48 — still holding first place in the NL West, but continuing to show signs of late-inning struggles.

The loss extends a frustrating stretch for the Dodgers, who have now gone 9-11 over their last 20 games. Meanwhile, St. Louis must continue stacking wins like this to remain in the postseason hunt. If the club manages to stay in contention, Nootbaar’s incredible grab could go down as the moment that saved its season.

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