In Game 1 of the NLDS, a Matt Kemp home run in the first inning proved to be the difference as the Dodgers beat St. Louis 5-3 on Wednesday night. It was the RedBirds that lit the lamp first, scoring via a Ryan Ludwick bloop hit that went off the tip of Dodger 2B Ronnie Belliards' glove and dropped to the ground as Matt Kemp came running in from center. Belliard got the start over Gold-Glove winning Orlando Hudson, who has been slumping at the plate for some time. In the bottom half of the first, after giving up one run, leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal singled, and Matt Kemp blasted a two-run shot over his own office space in center field. I really feel like that two-run shot rattled Cardinals ace, Chris Carpenter, as he gave up 7 more hits and two additional earned runs following that inning.
It was LA's left-hander Randy Wolf that was quoted as saying, "The way you beat them is to get their starting pitcher out of the game as soon as possible...", when predicting how to beat a team with two potential Cy Young Award winners. On this night, it happened a little bit differently. Wolf was chased after just 3 2/3 innings after giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, with five walks to boot. Carpenter after getting out of the first down only one, seemed to hang around somehow. Clearly unsettled, and looking uncomfortable on the bump most of the game, he actually managed to give skipper Tony LaRussa 5 innings and just over 100 pitches. The big righty did concede 9 hits and 4 earned runs, including that two-run blast to Matt Kemp (1).
Between the two teams, a new MLB record was set. It was not a record to be proud of. The Dodgers (16) and Cards (14) combined to leave a whopping 30 runners on base. Albert Pujols was held ineffective by the Dodgers who walked him twice and Matt Holiday who is supposed to be that huge number two batter garnered only 1 hit, while striking out twice. The Dodgers were happy with what they were able to accomplish at the plate. Furcal went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored in the leadoff spot. Kemp hit only 1 of 5, but had the decisive blow that proved huge in the end of the game.
"We always talk about battling and going out there and having good at-bats and that's what we did tonight," said Kemp. "And that's the key to winning games and working pitchers and just trying to make them go out there and make mistakes. And hopefully we just keep doing that."And hopefully they can continue to do that Thursday afternoon at 3:07 p.m. when Clayton Kershaw faces off against St. Louis staff ace No. 2, Adam Wainright in Game 2. The young Dodgers lefty looked spectacular in his last start, pitching the division clincher this past Saturday night vs. Colorado. The Rockies lost 5-1 to the defending Champion Phillie's before LA played last night. Clayton struck out the first 5 batters of the game, and ended the night with 10 K's. If he isn't as sharp as he was that night, Los Angeles has no reason to fret. Their superb bullpen gave up only one run in the 5 1/3 innings they were called upon to pitch in Game 1. Jeff Weaver who helped the Cards win a World Series a couple years back was just what manager Joe Torre needed to fill the void in time (1 1/3 inn.) before the back end of the bullpen could drive the Dodgers home. Weaver got Ryan Ludwick to hit a comebacker to end the fourth inning, and aligned himself for the win. Ronald Belasario, Hung-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and big Jonathan Broxton completed the onslaught of arms. Broxton recorded a four out save that started with one on in the eighth inning. He got Albert Pujols to hit a bouncer for the final out.
The game lasted 3 hours, 54 minutes and was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 56,000 fans.
If the Dodgers win on Thursday, they could have a 2-0 series lead before their Freeway-Rivals even begin their postseason. The Halos play host to the Boston Red Sox, Thursday night beginning at 9:37 p.m. Pacific.
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