NLDS Game 1, Cardinals vs Dodgers final score: Cardinals chase Kershaw, beat Dodgers 10-9

9. 71. 10. 33. Final

The St. Louis Cardinals mounted a dramatic comeback against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a shocking game on the road in Game 1 of the NL Division Series.

Clayton Kershaw strode to the mound in the 7th inning on Friday night with a four-run lead and a one-hitter in progress in Game 1 of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Showered with MVP chants and on his way to another dominant outing, Kershaw all of a sudden came unraveled. He missed location, gave up a bundle of hits, and was eventually charged with eight earned runs as the Cardinals came back to win by a final score of 10-9.

This game started with lots of fanfare thanks to the starting pitching match-up: it was Adam Wainwright against Kershaw. Wainwright also struggled, not even making it out of the 5th inning as he surrendered six earned runs of his own.

Before the pitchers faltered, however, this game got chippy. And who was in the middle of everything? Yasiel Puig, of course, although he really had nothing to do with it.

This incident may or may not have propelled the Dodgers’ offense, but they erupted for six runs. Among the offensive highlights for the Dodgers, Matt Kemp had three hits and Adrian Gonzalez blasted a two-run home run.

The Cardinals’ rally in the 7th inning was the story in this game. St. Louis put together a series of singles and played station-to-station baseball to bring Matt Carpenter up with the bases loaded, two outs, and his team down 6-4. After a long and gritty at-bat, Carpenter got a meatball from Kershaw and didn’t miss it, clearing the bases and giving his team a 7-6 lead.

Matt Carpenter 3 Run RBI off Kershaw to take the lead https://t.co/CqT4VVgG9Q
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 4, 2014

Matt Holliday capped off that inning with a three-run home run, and the Cardinals were able to cling to that lead and hold on the rest of the way.

There was outstanding drama in the bottom of the 9th inning before this one was officially decided. The Dodgers chipped away and got the deficit to 10-9. They put the tying run on third base. Puig was the man due up for the Dodgers.

Yasiel Puig at the plate. Closer Trevor Rosenthal on the mound. Two outs. The tying run on third.

Power against power, and Rosenthal came through, striking Puig out with a 99 MPH fastball to end the game.

Kershaw is now 1-4 in his career in the playoffs. For as much as we invest in the postseason resumes of baseball’s all-time greats, this is one facet of Kershaw’s career that still needs to improve.

Both NL Division Series started on Friday with wins for the road team. Like the Washington Nationals in the their series, the Dodgers will try to even things up on Saturday. They will have Zack Greinke on the mound in Game 2 opposite Lance Lynn for the Cardinals.

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