California native Romero taken 'back to my childhood' in win over Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- JoJo Romero threw the slider of a lifetime to strike out Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in a big spot in the seventh inning and he ultimately picked up Wednesday’s win to pair with an exhilarating save on Monday night.

But the lasting memory from a storybook series in Los Angeles for Romero -- a native of nearby Camarillo, Calif., who grew up rooting for the Dodgers -- will always be the child-like emotions he felt late on Wednesday while recapping his experiences with his cousins.

“I texted my cousins after the game and we were talking about how [his showdown against Ohtani] was like when we were in the backyard and we were kids -- always 3-2, bottom of the ninth in those backyard moments -- so today was like a full-circle moment for me,” Romero said after the Cardinals’ come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Dodgers. “It was really cool to be in that moment and help my team get a win there, but back in the locker room, I was feeling all the emotions. It took me back to my childhood.”

Relief work by Kyle Leahy (who had four strikeouts in 2 2/3 scoreless innings), Riley O'Brien (who recorded his first career MLB save) and Romero set the stage for the Cardinals to rally for their 28th comeback win after being overwhelmed by Ohtani in the early going.

On the same day fans received a replica World Series ring with Ohtani’s name on it, the two-way star struck out eight hitters in four innings as a pitcher and he also smashed a 440-foot, two-run homer in the third inning to give the Dodgers an early lead.

That lead lasted until the eighth inning, when Jordan Walker capped a three-hit day with a line drive into the left-center field gap to plate Alec Burleson to knot the score. Masyn Winn, who had reached earlier in the inning on his second hit of the day, then came around to score on a throwing error by Dodgers third baseman Alex Freeland. Pedro Pagés, Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan and Winn each had two-hit days to supplement Walker’s three-hit performance as the Cardinals pounded out 12 hits.

“They don’t give in and that’s a learned skill,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “You have to learn how to [come from behind] and create an identity around it. There are games you’re going to win and games you’re going to be behind. But if you don’t give in, you can snatch a couple of those.”

Romero didn’t give in when facing Ohtani in a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh. After starting him off with a ball off the plate and in the dirt, Romero rallied back into the count by dotting a fastball on the outside corner, showing the three-time MVP another fastball up and then giving him a curveball for strike two looking. At 2-2, Romero read Ohtani’s body language -- something taught to him by former Cards reliever Phil Maton -- and got him to chase a slider that was well off the plate.

“It’s just about reading the at-bat, reading the [Ohtani] approach and how he takes pitches -- and a lot of that came from Phil [Maton],” Romero admitted. “I started seeing the game differently and paying attention differently. … It’s about being able to see the game with a different perspective and then adding more tools to the arsenal. For me, it’s not just about executing the pitch but also understanding why I’m executing the pitch.”

When the Cardinals traded two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley, swingman Steven Matz and Maton ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline, it vaulted Romero into the closer’s role in a bullpen suddenly filled with young and unproven arms. A left oblique injury to John King also left Romero as the team’s lone lefty in relief.

“It’s just about me understanding my plan of attack, using my strengths against them and being ready for just about any situation, whether it’s the sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth,” said Romero, who is limiting lefties to a .213 batting average with no homers and 20 strikeouts. “It’s the same mentality I’ve had with not worrying so much about the role. I have one role and that’s being ready when my name is called.”

Leahy, who hasn’t given up an earned run in his last five outings, stressed that Romero was the perfect choice to be elevated into the closer role following the Helsley trade.

“He’s got the mentality for it, he competes his butt off and he’s got really good stuff,” Leahy said of Romero. “His drive and his preparation are all well above par. So, he’s got everything it takes to be a closer, or whatever you ask him to do.”