ST. LOUIS — When the word “stopper” is thrown around to describe a starter, it often refers to the pitcher who halts losing skids, who gives his bullpen a break and his team a lift.

The title needs to be expanded when referring to Sonny Gray.

The Cardinals’ top pitcher has not only stopped some recent losing stumbles, he’s flat out stopped opponents. Gray authored his second consecutive scoreless start by stymying those high-flying Los Angeles Dodgers in a 5-0 shutout Friday night at Busch Stadium. Gray had the backing of a two-run homer from catcher Pedro Pages for the majority of his start and scattered eight hits through 6 1/3 innings. Since a bruising outing in Philadelphia, the Cardinals’ right-hander has pitched four consecutive quality starts.

Three of the four have been scoreless outings.

Gray improved to 7-1 with the win.

Willson Contreras set the final score with his solo homer in the eighth inning, and the Cardinals’ pair of homers in the game only highlighted what Gray was able to do. Six starters in LA’s lineup had more homers than the Cardinals’ leader, and that group — which included three former MVPs — could not crack Gray. Nolan Arenado added three singles and a handful of defensive gems to back Gray in front of a nearly packed Busch.

For the first time since opening day against the Twins, the Cardinals sold more than 40,000 tickets for a game, drawing 40,071 for Friday night’s game. Large crowds are expected all weekend during the Dodgers visit.

Dodgers’ starter Justin Wrobleski was part of a series of roster moves made ahead of Friday’s game that also included a swap of former Cardinals. LA has had to flex and explore its depth due to a rash of injuries in its pitching staff, and Wrobleski took the spot of Landon Knack, who started an earlier game the week. The churn for fresh arms continues, and later in the day Friday the Dodgers designated reliever Ryan Loutos for assignment shortly after promoting him. LA plucked Loutos off waivers from the Cardinals this past month, and then on Friday they needed his roster spot to clear room for former Cardinal Christ Stratton.

He was picked up by the Dodgers after a release from Kansas City.

The churn is real.

The Dodgers’ visit was also Tommy Edman’s first appearance on the field at Busch since the final game of the 2023 season. An injury kept him out of the lineup for all of last season until he was traded in a three-team deal that took him to the Dodgers and October glory. Edman received an ovation in his first at-bat and he singled in his third against Gray. That single didn’t generate much as JoJo Romero got Shohei Ohtani to bounce into a double play to keep Gray’s line spotless.

Gray ices LA's MVP (no the other one)

Freddie Freeman, the reigning World Series MVP, entered Friday night’s game with a .363 average and ample success against the Gray. In his 14 at-bats against the right-hander, Freeman hit .357 and slugged .429, and he reached 33% of the time he’s seen Gray in their overlapping careers. But trapped within those 14 at-bats were indicators of how Friday was going to go.

Freeman struck out five times.

Make it seven.

Gray got Freeman swinging awkwardly at a sampling of pitches in the first inning before ending the at-bat with a 85-mph sweeper that Freeman couldn’t reach. In the third inning, Ohtani and Mookie Betts — the fellow MVPs batting ahead of Freeman — singled against Gray to open the potential rally. Gray had no outs and the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup looming. The right-hander was at his best from there.

He struck out Freeman on a 85.2-mph sweeper.

He then struck out Teoscar Hernandez with a 86-mph sweeper.

The back-to-back strikeouts defused the inning, and it ended with a fly out to right field to keep Gray’s scoreless cooking.

Freeman grounded out in the sixth against Gray, and he did not reach base until one inning after Gray had turned a four-run lead over to the bullpen. Freeman’s double off Romero moved two runners into scoring position without an out in the eighth inning. But the Dodgers fizzled from there as right-hander Phil Maton entered and extinguished the inning with two quick strikeouts and a meek grounder to first base.

The Dodgers were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position through the seventh, 1 for 13 in the game.

Pages takes lead, helps Donovan double it

The first pitch Pages saw in the game that he wasn’t trying to catch, he clobbered.

The Cardinals’ starting catcher got his first at-bat of the game with two out and Arenado on base in the second inning. Wrobleski challenged the No. 8 hitter with a 93.5-mph, first-pitch fastball, and Pages sent it deep into the seats beyond the visitors’ bullpen. Pages’ fifth home run of the season lifted the Cardinals to an early 2-0 lead. The home run traveled an estimated 422 feet.

Three innings later, Wrobleski greased the bases for another Cardinals’ rally with a couple off walks, and again Pages was involved. So too was a near miss of Victor Scott II’s face with a fastball.

Pages drew a leadoff walk.

The next batter, Scott, turned to bunt – and Wrobleski’s pitch went up and in and toward Scott’s face. The Cardinals’ center fielder got his bat between the pitch and his nose, and the ball stayed fair so that he was thrown out and credited with a sacrifice bunt. The scoring decision was almost too accurate. With Pages at second, Lars Nootbaar also saw a series of pitches up and in, and he eventually took the walk.

With two outs, Brendan Donovan lined a 95-mph fastball up the middle for two RBIs and a 4-0 lead.

Arenado delivers hits, steals outs

In the sixth inning, Arenado consolidated the two things he did all evening.

He ranged in every direction to find outs.

He flipped a single to the outfield to reach base.

By the end of the inning, Arenado had his third single of the game, and he had once again helped Gray out of an inning with a vintage defensive play. With two outs and two on — including a runner at third base — Arenado raced into foul territory when Michale Conforto popped up a pitch. As he neared the Dodgers’ dugout, Arenado made the basket catch and then slid to halt himself from crashing into the railing. No seat was threatened by this play. He covered 74 feet to make the catch, per Statcast data. And then he retraced his steps on his way back toward the Cardinals’ dugout to receive congratulations from teammates.

Earlier in the game, Arenado cut in front of teammate Masyn Winn to make a play on a ground ball that was the first out of the second inning.

Arenado almost had a barehanded play, but Andy Pages outran the throw.

At regular intervals through the game, Arenado sprinkled in some singles, too. He singled to center and scored in the second inning. He pulled a single to left in the fourth, and the flared a single down the right-field line in the sixth. The three hits through six innings Friday gave him five over the previous two games, including his home run in Thursday’s evening game.

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