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Cardinals top Dodgers in NLDS Game 1

 
Adrian Gonzalez, left, and Yadier Molina jaw after Adam Wainwright hits Yasiel Puig in the third.
Adrian Gonzalez, left, and Yadier Molina jaw after Adam Wainwright hits Yasiel Puig in the third.
Published Oct. 4, 2014

LOS ANGELES — After falling behind early, the Cardinals beat up Clayton Kershaw and rallied for eight runs in the seventh inning to top the Dodgers 10-9 in Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Friday.

Kershaw entered the seventh with a 6-2 lead, but he gave up five runs on singles by Matt Adams and John Jay, and a three-run double by Matt Carpenter. He was pulled with two outs for Pedro Baez, who gave up a three-run homer to Matt Holliday to make it 10-6.

With one of the runs scored on the Holliday homer credited to Kershaw, his total for the inning was six. In 62/3 innings in all, he allowed eight runs on eight hits, including two homers, struck out 10 and didn't walk anyone. Kershaw is the first pitcher in postseason history to allow eight earned runs with no walks and 10 strikeouts in one game, ESPN Stats and Info said.

Kershaw, a heavy favorite to win a third Cy Young Award in four years, fell to 1-4 with a career 5.19 ERA in the postseason.

The Dodgers came back with two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth before St. Louis reliever Trevor Rosenthal blew an 100 mph fastball past Yasiel Puig with a runner on third to end the game.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is today.

In a matchup of 20-game winners, Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright succumbed first, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 42/3 innings. He hit Dodgers star Puig with a pitch in the third, triggering a bench-clearing scrum.

Puig led off and was hit in the upper left arm with Los Angeles trailing 1-0. He went to take first base, and teammate Adrian Gonzalez began jawing with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Molina grew especially heated, and soon both benches and bullpens emptied, creating a scrum at home plate. There was pushing, shoving and yelling, but no punches were thrown. Puig later gave Wainwright a friendly pat as he took his base.

Last year Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly hit Hanley Ramirez in the ribs in the NL championship series opener, limiting the Dodgers star for the rest of the matchup.

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