Dodgers Defeat Cardinals in Wild-Card Game

Wild Card Round - St. Louis Cardinals v Los Angeles Dodgers

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Chris Taylor hit a tie-breaking two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL wild-card game Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

The win advances the Dodgers into a NL Division Series against the San Francisco Giants that will begin Friday in San Francisco.

Cody Bellinger drew a two-out full-count walk from T.J. McFarland to extend the ninth inning.

Taylor hit a 2-1 slider from Alex Reyes, who relieved McFarland, over the left-center field fence to drive in Bellinger, who had stolen second.

The victory was the Dodgers' 16th straight at Dodger Stadium. They concluded the regular season with a franchise-record 15-game home winning streak.

Kenley Jansen, the last of six Dodger pitchers, was credited with the victory, pitching a shutout ninth, striking out three.

Jansen allowed a one-out single to Tommy Edman, St. Louis' second hit since the fifth inning. Edman stole second, but Jansen struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O'Neill to end the inning.

The Cardinals were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base before a crowd announced at 53,193.

The Dodgers were 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.

McFarland, the fourth of five St. Louis pitchers, was charged with the loss.

Justin Turner homered leading off the fourth off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright for the Dodgers' first run.

St. Louis opened the scoring in the first as Edman scored on a two-out wild pitch by Dodger starter Max Scherzer.

Edman led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on O'Neill's fly out.

Scherzer was lifted after throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, striking out four and walking three.

Five Dodger relievers limited the Cardinals to two hits over the final 4 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers are 12-0 in Scherzer's starts after they acquired him in a July 30 six-player trade with the Washington Nationals that also brought them shortstop and 2021 NL batting champion Trea Turner.

Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.


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