St. Louis @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2014 ) St. Louis 10, LA Dodgers 9

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to shake off a disappointing loss and even their National League Division Series at one win apiece when they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. NL West champion Los Angeles appeared on its way to victory in Friday's opener as Cy Young Award favorite Clayton Kershaw was staked to a 6-2 lead after six innings. But St. Louis touched the 21-game winner for six runs and six hits during an eight-run seventh and held off a late comeback attempt to emerge with a thrilling 10-9 triumph.

Los Angeles outhit NL Central champion St. Louis 16-10 but went just 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 while the Cardinals left just one runner on base. Matt Carpenter belted a solo homer and put St. Louis ahead with a three-run double during the huge seventh inning while Matt Holliday capped it with a three-run blast. A.J. Ellis highlighted a 4-for-5 performance with a two-run homer and Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run shot of his own for the Dodgers, who hope to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.

TV: 9:37 p.m. ET, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zach Greinke (17-8, 2.71)

Lynn ended the regular season with a four-game winless streak but produced quality starts in each of his last nine outings. The 27-year-old hasn't allowed more than three runs since June 28, when he was tagged for seven - six earned - over two innings in a loss to Saturday's counterpart Zach Greinke at Los Angeles. Lynn is 3-1 in five career starts against the Dodgers but owns a hefty 4.50 ERA.

Greinke finished the 2014 campaign with an eight-game unbeaten streak that included five victories. The 30-year-old former American League Cy Young Award winner allowed more than two earned runs only twice during his run and yielded fewer than two on four occasions. Greinke fell to 9-4 in 14 career games - 12 starts - against the Cardinals on July 19, when he surrendered four runs on six hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings at St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kershaw is the first pitcher in major-league history to surrender at least seven runs in back-to-back playoff starts.

2. Los Angeles LF Carl Crawford enters Saturday with a club-record 11-game postseason hitting streak.

3. The eight runs in the seventh on Friday were the most allowed in a postseason inning by the Dodgers since St. Louis also scored eight in a frame during their 1985 NL Championship Series.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Cardinals 3