Matt Holliday and pinch hitter Shane Robinson connected for the first home runs of the National League Championship Series, sending St. Louis past the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven playoff.
Holliday’s blast to left field came in a three-run third inning off Ricky Nolasco. Matt Carpenter doubled in Daniel Descalso and Holliday parked the first pitch he saw deep into the left field bullpen for his first hit of the series.
Lance Lynn allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three. Trailing 3-2, the Dodgers put the potential tying run on base in the sixth when Yasiel Puig singled to chase Lynn. Uribe grounded into a double play against Seth Maness to end the inning.
The Cardinals will try to eliminate the Dodgers with Zach Greinke starting for L.A. The Cardinals had a 3-1 lead on San Francisco last year, but dropped the final three games. With potential games six and seven at Busch Stadium…I find a three-game losing streak highly unlikely, even with Clayton Kershaw waiting behind Greinke.
The Dodgers are banged up offensively with Hanley Ramirez a big doubt for game five.
