It was a night of childhood dreams realized at Busch Stadium, as two friends who grew up together in suburban Phoenix delivered a memorable performance to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their fifth straight win. Nolan Gorman crushed a two-run homer, while Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 2/3 strong innings, allowing just two runs, as the Cardinals defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2.

The connection between these two lifelong friends has been remarkable throughout their MLB careers. In fact, Gorman has now hit home runs in 10 of Liberatore's starts over their 4½ years in the big leagues. On Friday, Gorman didn't just provide the offensive fireworks—he also played stellar defense at third base, helping his childhood buddy earn his first pitching win of the 2026 season.

"It's pretty unbelievable," Liberatore said, crediting his improved slider after an extra day of rest. "He played really good defense for me tonight. And for him to put a couple of runs on the board, give me some breathing room and let me go right at guys—you couldn't ask for more than that."

Gorman echoed the sentiment, adding, "That's a pretty cool stat. It's always good to provide him runs and play good defense behind him. It's just a lot of fun playing with him."

The Cardinals' offense was clicking on all cylinders, with Jordan Walker leading the charge. Coming off a four-game sweep in Pittsburgh where he went 5-for-17 with a home run and seven RBIs, Walker continued his hot streak with a four-hit night. He nearly hit for the cycle—what was initially ruled a triple in the seventh inning was later changed to a double plus a fielding error on Teoscar Hernandez. It was Walker's first four-hit game since September 1, 2024, when he had a five-hit afternoon at Yankee Stadium, making him the first Cardinals player to achieve that feat since.

For a team riding a five-game winning streak, the chemistry between these childhood friends is exactly the kind of story that makes baseball special—and makes fans excited to wear their Cardinals gear with pride.