St. Louis @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 5, 2015 ) St. Louis 2, LA Dodgers 1

Clayton Kershaw seeks to win for the third consecutive start when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Kershaw has yet to settle into a long dominating stretch this season after winning National League MVP honors and his third Cy Young Award last season.

Kershaw will attempt to help the Dodgers bounce back from consecutive losses to start the four-game set and end a three-game overall skid. Los Angeles has scored just two runs in the series and took a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning on Friday before Kolten Wong's tying single and Matt Carpenter's sacrifice fly provided the runs St. Louis needed for a 2-1 win. The Cardinals have won four straight games and 10 of their last 12, and possess the best record in the majors at 37-18. The slumping Dodgers have lost seven of their last 10 games and hold a half-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals LH Jaime Garcia (1-2, 2.70 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 3.73)

Garcia is making his fourth start of the season after beginning the campaign on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. He lost a 1-0 decision to Milwaukee in his last turn when he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. Garcia is 2-1 with a 5.31 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against Los Angeles.

Kershaw has allowed a total of two runs over his last two turns after giving up 15 in his previous four efforts. He struck out seven and gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings to defeat Colorado on Monday and has struck out 10 batters in two of his last four starts. Kershaw is 5-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 14 career regular-season starts against St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 2B Howie Kendrick (knee) missed his second straight game.

2. Wong is 4-for-8 with three RBIs in the series.

3. Los Angeles RF Yasiel Puig (hamstring) could return from a minor-league rehab stint on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Dodgers 1