Despite leaving 16 men on base, the Dodgers came out with a 5-3 win over the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLDS.
Randy Wolf went 3 2/3 innings and earned the no-decision. He ran into trouble in the first, loading the bases with no outs and a run scored when some miscommunication between Matt Kemp and Ronnie Belliard allowed a potential pop-out to turn into a hit. The Dodgers then got a double play to escape the inning. Wolf was pulled with two outs in the fourth after allowing an RBI-double. Jeff Weaver picked up the win after finishing the fourth and fifth innings. Belisario, Kuo, and Sherrill tossed scoreless relief and Broxton gave up a run but picked up the four-out save.
Matt Kemp answered the Cards’ run in the first with a two-run blast. Casey Blake drove in Andre Ethier in the third to give the Dodgers a two-run cushion. Furcal, who went 3 for 4, and Martin each drove in a run in the fifth and sixth innings. The Dodgers and Cards combined for 23 hits and left a MLB playoff-record 30 runners on base.
The Dodgers hope to put themselves up two games before heading to St. Louis this weekend. Clayton Kershaw will take the mound tonight and face Adam Wainwright.
