Los Angeles @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 6, 2014 ) LA Dodgers 1, St. Louis 3

The Los Angeles Dodgers turn to their ace in an effort to stave off elimination when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals for Game 4 of their National League Division Series on Tuesday. Clayton Kershaw gets the start on short rest as NL West champion Los Angeles finds itself down 2-1 in the best-of-five matchup after dropping a 3-1 decision in Game 3. The Dodgers received a strong six-inning effort from Hyun-Jin Ryu and forged a tie on Hanley Ramirez's RBI double in the sixth before Kolten Wong belted a two-run homer off Scott Elbert a frame later.

Matt Carpenter continued his offensive onslaught with a double and a solo blast as he improved to 6-for-12 with three doubles, three homers and seven RBIs in the series. The NL Central-champion Cardinals have had their way with several Los Angeles pitchers, pounding Kershaw for eight runs in the series opener while reaching the relief trio of Elbert, J.P. Howell and Pedro Baez for a total of six runs in 3 1/3 innings. With a victory Tuesday, St. Louis advances to the NL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive year.

TV: 5:07 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (0-1, 10.80 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Shelby Miller (2014 regular season: 10-9, 3.74)

Kershaw gets the chance to redeem himself on three days' rest after imploding in the seventh inning of his series-opening loss. The overwhelming favorite to win his second straight Cy Young Award and third in four years, he entered the frame with a 6-2 lead but allowed hits to six of the eight batters he faced before being lifted and ultimately was charged with eight runs in 6 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old Kershaw also pitched on three days' rest in last year's NLDS, yielding two unearned runs and three hits over six innings in a no-decision against Atlanta.

Miller will be making his first career postseason start after allowing three runs over 4 1/3 innings in three relief appearances over the previous two years. The Houston native, who is three days shy of his 24th birthday, has not lost since Aug. 11 - going 2-0 over his final eight starts of the regular season. Miller, who made his only relief appearance of the campaign against the Dodgers on July 20, fell to 1-1 in five games - three starts - versus the club after surrendering six runs over five frames in a loss at Los Angeles on June 29.

WALK-OFFS

1. Ramirez collected three of Los Angeles' seven hits in Game 3.

2. Carpenter, who hit eight home runs in 158 regular-season contests, is the first player in franchise history to homer in three straight games of the same playoff series. Albert Pujols went deep in three consecutive contests spanning two series in 2004.

3. Dodgers CF Yasiel Puig has struck out eight times in his last nine at-bats, ending a string of seven in a row with a sixth-inning triple Monday.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 3