SB Nation St. Louis - Cardinals Vs. Dodgers: St. Louis Drops Sunday's Game, 6-5

Cardinals Vs. Dodgers Final Score: Los Angeles Rallies For 6-5 Victory

2012-05-21T03:16:26Z

Scott Van Slyke's three-run home run in the seventh inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 lead they would not relinquish en route to a three-game sweep of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers got on the board first, but St. Louis scored five runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to build a 5-2 lead. Los Angeles came up with one run in the bottom of the sixth, which was followed by Van Slyke's decisive homer in the seventh.

At the plate, Matt Adams had a pair of hits in his MLB debut for St. Louis. Rafael Furcal and Daniel Descalso also had two-hit games.

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Cardinals Vs. Dodgers Score Update: St. Louis Leads 3-2 In The 5th

2012-05-21T01:33:48Z

The St. Louis Cardinals are out to avoid a weekend sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and while the Dodgers struck first Sunday night, the Cardinals have rallied to claim a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Andre Ethier got LA on the board with an RBI single in the first; James Loney netted the second run by grounding into a double play with the bases loaded in the fourth.

In the fifth, a big triple by Skip Schumaker scored a pair for St. Louis, and Carlos Beltran brought home Schumaker by grounding into a fielder's choice.

Cardinals Vs. Dodgers Lineups: Matt Adams Making MLB Debut

2012-05-20T20:43:59Z

With Lance Berkman landing on the disabled list this weekend due to a knee injury, top prospect Matt Adams is making his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night. Adams is playing first base and batting seventh as the Cardinals finish off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Louis:

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Skip Schumaker (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. David Freese (3B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. Matt Adams (1B)
8. Daniel Descalso (2B)
9. Lance Lynn (SP)

Los Angeles:

1. Tony Gwynn Jr. (CF)
2. Elian Herrera (2B)
3. Bobby Abreu (LF)
4. Andre Ethier (RF)
5. Adam Kennedy (3B)
6. James Loney (1B)
7. A.J. Ellis (C)
8. Justin Sellers (SS)
9. Chad Billingsley (SP)

Lance Berkman Injury: Cardinals 1B Placed On Disabled List

2012-05-20T18:35:29Z

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after injuring himself on Saturday night, as the team announced on Sunday. The Cards also announced that prospect Matt Adams has had his contract purchased from Triple-A Memphis to replace Berkman on the active roster.

The team says that Berkman is sitting out with a right knee injury. In Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Berkman appeared to injure the knee while making a routine defensive play, eventually needing help to walk off the field.

Back in 2005, he had surgery on the ACL in his right knee, although he told reporters he doesn't think he re-injured the ligament. Limited by injuries this season, the 36-year-old has appeared in just 13 games so far this season. Over 42 plate appearances, he's hit .333/.429/.571 with five doubles, one triple and one home run.

Adams, 23, has hit .340 with ten doubles and nine homers over 37 games with Memphis this season. A former 23rd-round pick back in 2009, he's considered one of the best prospects in the game at his position.

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Cardinals Vs. Dodgers: Cardinals Look To Solve Billingsley, Pick Up Final Game

2012-05-20T15:17:23Z

With a potentially serious injury to slugging first basemen Lance Berkman hanging over the St. Louis Cardinals, the team will look to avoid being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, an ailing team themselves. The Cards lost a heartbreaker on Friday night and then were completely neutralized on Saturday night by reigning NL Cy Young Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers cruised to a 6-0 victory.

On Sunday night, St. Louis will face Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, who has had a solid if inconsistent season after a career nadir in 2011. Billingsley has posted a 3.83 ERA this season, but has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his last five starts. There are also some underlying numbers that suggest the rug is slowly being pulled out from under him. His WHIP (1.37) and BAA (.260) both would suggest a higher ERA, and his fielding independent pitching sits at 4.20, almost a half a run higher than his ERA.

The Cardinals will trot out Kyle Lohse, who has quietly been one of the better pitchers in the National League this season. That said, Lohse has also started to regress a bit, with the big blow coming in his last start vs. the Chicago Cubs, when he gave up five earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched.

Game date/time: Sunday, May 20, 7:05 p.m. CT

Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.

TV: ESPN

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Lance Berkman Injury: Berkman Helped Off Field, Status Unknown

2012-05-20T13:37:03Z

An impending sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers is currently the least of the St. Louis Cardinals' problems. The top priority has now turned to the health of first basemen Lance Berkman, who was helped off the field on Saturday night after a routine play in which he caught a throw from shortstop Rafael Furcal to retire Dodgers shortstop Justin Sellers. After falling to the ground, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and a trainer rushed to Berkman's side. Berkman then tried to walk off the field, but was unable to and was helped off by the two men.

The severity of Berkman's injury is still unknown, though the Cardinals announced that he had injured his right knee. According to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, Berkman will undergo an MRI in St. Louis on Monday. Langosch also reported that Berkman, who had surgery on his right ACL in 2005, does not believe he injured his ACL on Saturday night.

No specific diagnosis yet on Berkman's knee injury, though he doesn't believe it to be an ACL issue. Will know more after MRI in StL on Mon.
— Jenifer Langosch (@LangoschMLB) May 20, 2012

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Cardinals Vs. Dodgers Final Score: Kershaw Pitches CG SO As Los Angeles Wins 6-0

2012-05-20T05:19:17Z

The St. Louis Cardinals (22-18) could not find their rhythm against one of the league's top lefties as the Los Angeles Dodgers (27-13) powered their way to a 6-0 win. SP Clayton Kershaw (W, 4-1) hurled a complete game shut out against the league's top offense, allowing only 6 hits -- 5 of which were singles -- while striking out 4 batters in the 117-pitch effort.

SP Jake Westbrook (L, 4-3) did not fare as well in his offering. He managed to strike out 5 while walking only 1 batter through 6 and 1/3 innings, but he allowed a long-ball to SS Justin Sellers in the bottom of the seventh inning and got tabbed for another run when the bullpen allowed an inherited runner to score on a single, finishing Westbrook's line with 3 ER and 4 R charged against him.

The Cardinals have now lost three straight games and have only two wins in their last week of play. They still hold a 1.5 game lead in the NL Central, but will look to add to their lead -- and snap out of their funk -- Sunday at 7:00 p.m. CDT as they wrap up their series against the Dodgers.

Final - 5.19.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	0	2	0	0	4	0	X	6	9	1
WP: Clayton Kershaw (4 - 1) LP: Jake Westbrook (4 - 3)

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Cardinals Vs. Dodgers Preview: St. Louis Faces Reigning Cy Young Winner Clayton Kershaw

2012-05-19T13:45:00Z

The St. Louis Cardinals will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night. The task in front of the Cards is a tall one: face the L.A. Dodgers, the team with the best record in baseball, in their home park with reigning Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Cardinals, who have lost six of their last eight games, will send Jake Westbrook to the mound as the team looks to get back to its winning ways.

The Dodgers enter 26-13 with a stellar 17-4 home record. The 24-year old Kershaw has been fantastic once again, posting a 2.22 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through his first eight starts. He enters at 3-1.

Westbrook is 4-2 this season with a 2.35 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Game Date & Time: Saturday, May 19, 9:10 p.m.

Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California

TV: FS-M

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