St. Louis @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 15, 2013 ) St. Louis 4, LA Dodgers 2

The St. Louis Cardinals are one win away from their 19th trip to the World Series. The Cardinals will attempt to lock up the National League pennant behind Joe Kelly when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers for Game 5 of the NL Championship Series on Wednesday. St. Louis is riding its excellent pitching in the series and finally got something out of Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday in the 4-2 triumph in Game 4.

Carpenter and Holliday were a combined 2-for-23 in the first three games but totaled three hits and combined for three RBIs to help the Cardinals take a commanding 3-1 lead. The Dodgers are getting their own solid pitching but are lacking something on offense, where Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez are playing through pain. Ramirez (fractured rib) went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and was in noticeable pain before being removed on Tuesday.

TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Joe Kelly (10-5, 2.69 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (15-4, 2.63)

Kelly went up against Greinke in Game 1 and held his own, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five in six innings. The 25-year-old owns a power sinker that helped him generate 11 ground balls in Game 1 and 19 in two postseason outings. Kelly was a better pitcher on the road during the regular season, going 5-1 with a 2.07 ERA in 19 games - seven starts.

Greinke surrendered a total of eight hits in 14 innings during his two postseason starts and was at his best against the Cardinals in Game 1, striking out 10 while allowing two runs on four hits in eight innings. The Dodgers’ struggling offense is the only thing keeping the former Cy Young Award winner from a win in the playoffs. Greinke went 8-2 with a 2.11 ERA in 14 starts at home during the regular season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Ramirez did not take a pain-killing injection before Game 4 and will be a game-time decision Wednesday.

2. St. Louis held a 3-1 lead in the NLCS over the San Francisco Giants last season before dropping three straight.

3. Los Angeles suffered 4-1 losses in each of its last two trips to the NLCS (2008 and 2009) and is looking for its first trip to the World Series since 1988.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Cardinals 2