The Dodgers had the score tied in Game 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Hanley Ramirez had hit a double to get things even in the sixth innings. However, Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer in the seventh innings to give the Cardinals the win and the opportunity to advance to their fourth straight NLCS. The Dodgers will ride on some lineup changes to hopefully give their team the spark it needs to extend the season.
The Cardinals will put Shelby Miller on the mound to battle to Dodgers. A win on Tuesday gives St. Louis the series victory, sending Los Angeles home packing. The pitcher is making his first career postseason appearance. HE went 10-9 with a 3.74 ERA in the regular season. He is pitching on plenty of rest, last taking the mound on Sept. 23 where he gave up three runs off two home runs to the Chicago Cubs. The one time he pitched against the Dodgers, Miller gave up six runs in five innings.
One player Miller will not have to deal with is Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers announced that he would not be starting in the lineup in Game 4, a gamble the Dodgers are hoping pays off. Instead, the outfield will consist of Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Gonzalez is 4 for 7 against Miller.
The Dodgers are putting their faith in Clayton Kershaw who will take the mound to pitch on short rest in hopes of extending the season. It seems like the right move considering Kershaw is the expected winner of the NL Cy Young Award. He is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in three career starts on three days rest. Kershaw was tagged for eight runs in the seventh innings in his first start against the Cardinals after having the 6-1 lead which is cause for concern for Los Angeles. In two postseason starts against St. Louis, the pitcher has given up 15 runs over 10 innings. He cannot afford to extend those stats on Tuesday night. To make matters worse, when pitching in St. Louis, Kershaw is 0-4 with a 6.28 ERA in five starts which include two games of the LCS.
The St. Louis Cardinals have taken control of the NLDS series, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers to fight for their season in a crucial Game 4 matchup. After getting the go-ahead win, the Cardinals have the chance to beat the Dodgers at home and move on to the next round of games. Los Angeles put a lot of pressure on themselves this season with one of the top pitching rotations and young stars in the league, but it might not be enough to advance in October.
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