Stanford has had its share of October moments, but the week of Oct. 12 delivered something rare: two Cardinal alumni on the same Dodgers roster, both leaving fingerprints on a chaotic NLCS Game 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Edman's Run Is the Hinge Moment
Tommy Edman didn't need a hit to change the game. With Los Angeles locked in a 3-3 tie, Brewers starter Logan Henderson airmailed a pickoff throw to first base — and Edman, reading the chaos perfectly, came all the way around to score and give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. It was exactly the kind of instinctive, high-leverage baserunning that doesn't show up cleanly in a box score but absolutely swings a playoff game.
Freddie Freeman added a sac fly to plate Edman as part of the sequence, making it an official RBI — but the real credit belongs to Edman for forcing the issue. The lead didn't hold; William Contreras answered immediately with a solo shot to knot it back at 4-4. But Edman's run kept the Dodgers in the driver's seat long enough to matter in what became a back-and-forth thriller.
It was a bright spot in an otherwise rough NLCS stretch for Edman, who entered the week batting just .111 in the series and had gone hitless in both the Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 games (both Dodgers losses, 2-6 and 4-6, respectively). The Cardinal second baseman has been leaning on his legs more than his bat this October.
Bubic Serves Up the Answer
The Contreras homer that answered Edman's run came at the expense of fellow Stanford alum Kris Bubic. The Dodgers lefty entered in relief and surrendered the solo blast in the bottom of the fifth inning, part of a rough 0.2-inning outing in which he allowed 1 earned run and finished with an NLCS ERA of 13.50.
It was a tough moment for Bubic — and a genuinely unusual one for Stanford fans, watching two Cardinal alumni on opposite ends of the same rally within the span of a single half-inning. Bubic did punch out two batters in his brief appearance, offering at least a glimpse of his swing-and-miss stuff, but the Contreras blast was the defining moment of his outing.
The Bigger Picture
Stanford doesn't churn out October stars every year, but this week served as a reminder of the program's MLB footprint. With Edman and Bubic sharing a Dodgers clubhouse deep into the postseason, the Cardinal has two alumni fighting for a World Series ring — even if Game 2 ended up in Milwaukee's column.
The series has been a grind for Los Angeles, and Edman's bat going quiet is a real concern. But his baserunning in Game 2 was a reminder that his value extends well beyond his average. If the Dodgers are going to advance, they'll likely need Edman contributing in exactly those kinds of moments — and perhaps Bubic steadying himself in high-leverage innings.
Stanford fans have reason to stay locked in on this series.
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