Lars Nootbaar’s Game-Saving Snag just might be the Catch-of-the-Year
The St. Louis Cardinals kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday night with a stunning 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. And it came down to one of the most incredible defensive plays of the 2025 MLB season. See below what just might be the catch-of-the-year from fan favorite Lars Nootbaar.
With the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth, Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar went full-extension near the right-field line, robbing Mookie Betts of a potential game-tying RBI. The highlight-reel grab preserved St. Louis’ one-run lead and helped the Cardinals escape a high-stakes showdown with a critical victory.
A Tight, Tense Matchup From the Start
The game lived up to the billing, featuring two aces — Sonny Gray for the Cardinals and Tyler Glasnow for the Dodgers — going toe-to-toe through seven innings of sharp pitching. Gray struck out eight over six innings, while Glasnow matched him with seven strikeouts and just one run allowed.
Masyn Winn gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with a solo home run early. Then Freddie Freeman evened the score for Los Angeles with a solo blast of his own. In the eighth, Ivan Herrera put the Cardinals back on top with a clutch home run off Evan Phillips, only for the Dodgers to tie things again in the bottom half.
Yohel Pozo then delivered what would prove to be the game-winning hit — a two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth to make it 3-2 Cardinals.
Nootbaar’s Catch-of-the-Year Seals the Win
With Shohei Ohtani on first after a leadoff single in the ninth, Mookie Betts sent a slicing fly ball down the right-field line that looked destined to drop. But Nootbaar had other plans. The Cardinals outfielder sprinted, leapt, and laid out for a spectacular diving grab that left fans and teammates in awe.
The MLB’s official social media account shared the clip, which immediately went viral with this caption:
“Lars Nootbaar makes an UNBELIEVABLE catch in the 9th”
That catch halted the Dodgers’ momentum and kept Ohtani from advancing. JoJo Romero took care of the final two outs to notch his second save of the year.
Cardinals Climb as Dodgers Stumble
With the win, the Cardinals moved to 57-57 and kept themselves in striking distance in the National League playoff race. The Dodgers, despite leading the NL West at 65-48, have now lost 11 of their last 20 games and continue to show cracks late in games.
For St. Louis, every win counts — and Monday night’s victory may be remembered as a turning point. If the Cardinals do complete a late-season push, Nootbaar’s heroics in right field could be looked back on as the play that kept the season alive.
