In game one of the NLDS between St. Louis and the LA Dodgers, Adam Wainwright took the hill versus the odds-on NL Cy Young and MVP favorite, Clayton Kershaw. It would turn into a see-saw 19 run shoot out, with Matt Carpenter's home run, bases clearing-two-out double and 4 RBI being the game's MVP. This game will go down in October lore as one of the wildest games ever seen by either storied franchise.

The first couple of innings had some action, but only one run to show for both sides.The first inning got off to a bang when RF Randal Grichuk slammed a two strike pitch out of the park and over the left field wall to give the Cards a quick 1-0 lead. The bottom of the first and second saw the LAD threaten, but to no avail as Wainwright tight-roped out of danger. 

In the bottom of the 3rd the fireworks started! Adam Wainwright hit Yasiel Puig on a 1-1 count, with nobody out in a one run game. Adrian Gonzalez took exception and started jawing at Wainwright and Yadier Molina and the benches cleared, but no punches thrown.

The Dodgers were remembering a few times in the past year or so, that the Cardinals hit Hanley Ramirez in game one of last year's NLCS. Ramirez would have a broken rib and never be the same. Earlier this year, another incident occured with the Cardinals hitting the Dodgers in a regular season Sunday night game. Wainwright will pitch in, but no there's no way that HBP was intentional. Gonzalez was making a mountain out of a mole hill. Puig would come around to score on a Hanley  Ramirez 2 out single, so the story would come full circle. Tied at 1-1 Ramirez then stole second and Carl Crawford doubled into the right field corner making it 2-1 LAD at the end of 3. The LA crowd was now alive!

The 4th would see Kershaw strikeout the side to set the tone for the inning. It was now Wainwrights turn to respond. After allowing a man to third, Puig would get a 2 out RBI on a single to left. Gonzales would then walk to make it runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out. Matt Kemp would make it 4-1 on a single that drove in Puig. Hanley Ramirez would fly out to mercifully end the  4th with LA up 4-1.

Mike Matheny kept a tired Wainwright in for the 5th. He would pay for that decision as Wainwright would serve up a two run bomb. The lead was now 6-1 LAD and Adam Wainwright would be ran from the game with just 4 1/3 innings pitched.

Matt Carpenter would hit a solo shot off Kershaw in the 6th to make it 6-2. The two home-runs were a good sign that they can get to Kershaw, but they weren't getting enough men on base to cause damage when the ball left the yard.

In the 7th that all changed. Four consecutive singles to lead off the inning made it 6-3 with no outs and the bases loaded. Steve Kazma would be Kershaw's 9th strike out victim. Jon Jay would single in a run to make it 6-4 with one out. Manager Don Mattingly would go to the mound and leave Kershaw in to face the lefty Oscar Tavares. Matt Carpenter with the bases loaded and 2 outs would hit a bases clearing double to take a 7-6 lead! Matt Holliday would then hit a 3 run home run to extend the lead to 10-6.

Kershaw's inability to get out of the 7th, after being left in, will leave Mattingly with a lot of questions to answer. Kershaw had definitely ran out of gas. He was at over 100 pitches and had given up 5 hits in the inning and Carpenter has been a thorn in Kershaw's side. He should've been pulled plain and simple. 

The Dodgers would rally to score two in the 8th and one in the 9th to push the game to its limits. The Cardinals would hold on and take game one 10-9. Trevor Rosenthall versus Yasiel Puig with the tying run on third would end the game on a Yasiel Puig swinging strikeout on a 100mph fastball. That would finish the largest blown lead by a Dodger team in the playoffs.

The Cards will turn to Lance Lynn and the Dodgers will have their other big dollar SP Zack Grienke. The series is now on the line, and all Dodgers are on notice. If the LA Dodgers lose game 2, the Gateway to the West Arch will slam shut.