Good organizations, as Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol is fond of saying, usually feature not only good players at the MLB level, but also solid depth from which they can draw from in the Minor Leagues.

Hunter Dobbins, recalled from Triple-A Memphis for another spot start, proved that theory correct as he delivered at a time when the Cardinals desperately needed it most on Wednesday.

Dobbins repeatedly worked out of trouble and pitched six scoreless innings as the Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 1-0 defeat of the Angels to avoid a sweep in the three-game series in Anaheim.

JJ Wetherholt blasted his 15th home run of the season – the most ever by a Cardinals’ rookie second baseman – to provide all the offense that Dobbins and relievers Luis Gastelum, George Soriano and Riley O’Brien needed.

"I kind of knew where he was locating stuff and he was staying away from me with the heater," Wetherholt said to Cardinals TV. "Both at bats (before the homer), he gave me stuff to hit, but I just missed. I tried to go up there confident and knowing the shape of his pitches. I tried to do less and I was able to put a good swing on one." 

O’Brien, who squandered a one-run lead on Monday night, perilously walked two in the ninth inning, but he struck out Oswald Peraza and Josh Lowe to end the game and the Cardinals' skid. O'Brien, a first-time All-Star, registered his 26th save in 31 tries.

The Cardinals won despite getting just three hits. Wetherholt, one of the leading candidates to win the National League Rookie of the Year award, hit a 0-2 four-seam fastball from left-handed starter Reid Detmers for his 15th home run in the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie. The ball left Wetherholt’s bat at 104.8 mph and it traveled 409 feet and out of the range of three-time MVP center fielder Mike Trout.

Dobbins, who was acquired in the December trade with the Red Sox that centered around Willson Contreras, improved to 2-1 and lowered his MLB ERA to 3.18. It was his fourth start and sixth game as a member of the Cardinals.

Dobbins opened the first with a strikeout of Zack Neto and he whiffed Vaughn Grissom and Jo Adell to open the second before surrendering singles to Wade Meckler and Oswaldo Pereza. He got out of that threat by getting Lowe to ground out to first. He similarly worked out of trouble in the third and fourth innings before breezing through his final two innings in an impressive outing for Dobbins.

Originally scheduled to be off on Thursday, the Cardinals will be back in action tomorrow when they take on the Dbacks in a makeup game that was washed out by rain. Had the Cardinals been able to hang onto a 7-0 lead and win on Sunday in Arizona, Thursday’s game would have been for the season series. However, when the Dbacks rallied for an 8-7 victory, it locked up the season series for Arizona. That could come into play if the Cardinals and Dbacks finish tied in the battle for a Wild Card slot in the National League playoffs.

Former Cardinals’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who tied Sunday’s game with a two-run homer in the eighth inning, registered the 2,000th hit of his career on Monday against the Athletics. Arenado was given a standing ovation upon returning to St. Louis in late June.

Michael McGreevy is scheduled to start the 4:15 p.m. CT time game at Busch Stadium. Losing Thursday’s off day means the Cardinals will be playing 20 games in 20 days. The Cards sprinkled Dobbins into the rotation on Wednesday to give the starting staff a break during the extended stretch.

Wetherholt's ability to drive the ball back up the middle and the other way -- both with power -- is something that Marmol has raved about all season. Finally comfortable with his swing, Wetherholt said he is starting to be able to show his massive potential as a hitter for the Cardinals.

"It's been great and I've definitely showed some flashes of the player that I can be, but I am always working to try to be more consistent at the plate," said Wetherholt, who recently signed an eight-year contract extension that could be worth as much as $132 million. "I want to continue to play good defense and run the bases well and be that five-tool player and do everything the right way."

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