(Sports Network) – Clayton Kershaw will try to build off a previous scoreless outing this evening when the reigning National League Cy Young winner takes the hill for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second contest of a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 24-year-old Kershaw is 3-1 with a 2.22 earned run average through eight starts this season, allowing two runs or less in six of those games. That includes Monday versus the Diamondbacks as he threw seven innings and scattered four hits and three walks, striking out six.

The left-hander has won 11 of his past 12 decisions overall and 13 of his last 14 at home.

“He’s been pretty solid. He seems to be getting stronger and better as we go,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about Kershaw.

Kershaw, a 21-game winner last year, is 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA in eight starts versus the Cardinals, who counter tonight with Jake Westbrook.

The right-hander threw seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball to beat the Diamondbacks on May 8, but allowed four runs on a season-high 11 hits six days later over five frames of a no-decision against the Cubs. It was Westbrook’s shortest outing of the season and left him 4-2 on the season with a 2.35 ERA in seven starts.

Westbrook, 34, will make his first career start versus the Dodgers having faced them twice before in relief.

The Dodgers beat the Cardinals for a fifth straight time dating back to last season by taking Friday’s opener 6-5. After Kanley Jansen allowed a game-tying homer to pinch-hitter Lance Berkman in the top of the ninth, the slugger’s first of the season for the Cardinals, A.J. Ellis worked a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame off Fernando Salas.

“Once he fell behind in the count I waited for a good pitch to hit but no one was to my liking,” said Ellis, who had two RBI in the Los Angeles’ seventh victory in nine games.

Matt Holiday also homered for St. Louis, which has dropped six of its last eight.

“The bulk of the reason why we lost, we were letting them get deep in the count,” said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. “That and defensive mistakes really cost us.”

With Allen Craig (strained left hamstring) joining fellow outfielder Jon Jay (sprained right shoulder) on the disabled list Friday, Carlos Beltran returned to the starting lineup for the first time in five games and went 2-for-4 for St. Louis.

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Read More: Jake Westbrook (P – STL), Clayton Kershaw (P – LOS), St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers

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

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. Visit Viva El Birdos for more in-depth coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals and True Blue LA for more on the Dodgers.

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Ten more days until Matt Kemp is eligible to return from the disabled list.

But as Kemp remains stuck on the railing of the Dodgers’ dugout recovering from a strained hamstring, something strange is happening.

The Dodgers continue winning.

The Dodgers’ 6-5 walk-off victory over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing of their National League-leading 26 wins, but it was probably their most significant.

Immediately after closer Kenley Jansen served up a tying solo home run to pinch-hitter Lance Berkman in the top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases for catcher A.J. Ellis, who drew a walk-off walk off Fernando Salas.

“This shows our character,” Ellis said.

The Cardinals began the game as the best-hitting and highest-scoring team in the NL, but the Dodgers out-hit them, 13-6.

A large share of the Dodgers’ production came from the unlikeliest of sources. Adam Kennedy, who began the game with a .186 average, reached base five times, going four for four with a walk. Slumping first baseman James Loney was three for four with a walk and two runs batted in. Every Dodgers starting position player except for leadoff hitter Dee Gordon reached base.

Almost lost in the celebrations were new injury concerns. Mark Ellis was upended by Tyler Greene at second base on a seventh-inning force and exited the game with a swelling in his lower part of his left leg.

Ellis said he didn’t know how long he would be out but was confident he would avoid the disabled list.

The bottom half of the Dodgers’ lineup starting coming to life in the second inning. Kennedy, who was batting fifth for the second consecutive day, doubled to right-center. He scored on a double hit to the same part of the park by Loney, who, in turn, scored on a single to left by A.J. Ellis. Tony Gwynn Jr. tripled to right field to drive in Ellis and increase the margin to 3-0.

The lead didn’t last long.

Greene reached base on a bunt single. A.J. Ellis tried to pick off Greene, but his throw from home sailed past first baseman Loney, who wasn’t prepared to receive it. Greene moved to second.

The miscue was followed by a strikeout by Shane Robinson, but he too reached base on a third-strike wild pitch by Ted Lilly.

Greene later scored on a sacrifice fly by Rafael Furcal to reduce the Cardinals’ deficit to 3-1.

With Robinson on third base, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly was ejected for protesting an on-field ruling that Matt Carpenter checked his swing on a potential strike-three pitch.

The inning devolved from there. Carpenter singled in Robinson to move the Cardinals to within 3-2. The next batter, Matt Holliday, sent the ball halfway up the left-field pavilion to put the Cardinals ahead, 4-3.

Because of Ellis’ throwing error, all four runs were unearned.

Lilly didn’t give up any runs over the remainder of the seven innings he pitched and lowered his earned-run average from 2.11 to 1.79, the lowest among Dodgers starters. He limited the Cardinals to four hits and no walks, and struck out six.

The Dodgers responded immediately, as Kennedy singled in Mark Ellis to tie the score, 4-4.

The four runs scored against Lance Lynn were the most charged to the Cardinals starter this season.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A.J. Ellis drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a series between the NL West and Central Division leaders.

Los Angeles’ Adam Kennedy had four hits against his former team and James Loney drove in two runs.

Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman, 3 for 31 with 10 strikeouts against Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly, was not in St. Louis’ starting lineup despite having led the NL with 22 road home runs last season. He came up with two outs in the ninth as a pinch-hitter for Shane Robinson and drove an 0-1 pitch from closer Kenley Jansen into the pavilion seats in right-center for his first homer in 41 at-bats this season — ending the longest season-opening drought of his 14-year career.

Jansen (3-0), who struck out his first two batters trying to preserve a 5-4 lead for Lilly, ended up with the victory despite getting charged with his second blown save in five attempts.

Pinch-hitter Elian Herrera drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half from Fernando Salas (0-2), Kennedy singled with one out, and Loney was intentionally walked with runners at the corners. That set the stage for Ellis, who walked on four pitches to force home Herrera.

Lilly was charged with four runs — all unearned — and four hits through seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks. The 36-year-old left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.87. One of the hits off him was a two-run homer by Matt Holliday.

Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran, who took over the NL home run lead from injured Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp last Sunday, was back in the starting lineup for the first time in five games and went 2 for 4 after being sidelined with a sore right knee.

Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly was ejected for the second time in six games during the top of the third inning while the Cardinals were rallying from a 3-0 deficit with four runs. But the Dodgers tied it in the bottom half with an RBI single by Kennedy.

Tyler Greene led off the Cardinals’ third with a bunt single and advanced when catcher Ellis tried to surprise him with an attempted pickoff and threw the ball past Loney for an error. Robinson reached on a strikeout-wild pitch, and both runners moved up on pitcher Lance Lynn’s sacrifice bunt.

Furcal drove in the Cardinals’ first run with a sacrifice fly, and Matt Carpenter checked his swing on a 1-2 pitch. Ellis appealed to third base ump Chad Fairchild, who ruled no swing, and Mattingly was tossed by plate umpire and crew chief Tom Hallion while he was barking at Hallion from the dugout. Carpenter singled home Robinson and Holliday put St. Louis ahead 4-3 with his third in four games and ninth overall.

Lynn allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings, raising his ERA from 1.81 to 2.31. The right-hander was coming off a loss last Sunday against Atlanta, which prevented him from becoming the first pitcher in Cardinals history to win each of his first seven starts in a season.

This was the only game on Friday’s schedule between teams in the same league, with interleague play beginning for the other 28 clubs. The Dodgers and Cardinals don’t begin their interleague schedule until June 8, when Los Angeles travels to Seattle and St. Louis hosts Cleveland.

Notes: Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will join Mattingly and ex-Dodgers managers Tom Lasorda and Joe Torre on June 14 at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles to raise funds for Torre’s Safe at Home Foundation, which helps victims of domestic violence. The panel discussion will include Angels manager and longtime Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia. Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will serve as master of ceremonies for the benefit, which will include a sports memorabilia auction. … Lynn made the Dodgers swing and miss on only two of his 62 pitches through the first three innings. … Lilly has only one complete game in 228 starts since Aug. 23, 2004, when he beat Boston 3-0 with a three-hitter and a career-high 13 strikeouts at Toronto. … Furcal played his first game at Dodger Stadium since he was traded to the Cardinals on July 31 in exchange for minor league OF Alex Castellanos.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Read More: Jaime Garcia (P – STL), Bud Norris (P – HOU), Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets

The St. Louis Cardinals dropped the first of their three-game set against the Houston Astros on Friday night, but they get a chance on Saturday to even the series and to prevent the Houston Astros from setting a six-game winning streak at home. Houston hasn’t won six straight contests at home since August of 2010, so it will be up to Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (2-1, 2.78 ERA) to keep the Astros away from hitting that mark again. He will be opposed by 27-year old right-hander, Bud Norris (1-1, 5.46 ERA), who is coming off a strong outing of 6.2 innings, seven strikeouts, one walk and three earned runs against the New York Mets on Monday.

Here is some basic information to help you find the broadcast on Saturday night:

Starters: Jaime Garcia (2-1, 2.78 ERA) vs. Bud Norris (1-1, 5.46 ERA)

Game Date & Time: Saturday, May 5, 6:05 p.m. CT

Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX

TV: Fox Sports Midwest

Radio: AM 1120 KMOX (click here for full list of affiliates)

For more on the St. Louis Cardinals, head over to Viva El Birdos, SB Nation’s Cards blog. Astros news and analysis is available at Crawfish Boxes. Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louisfor more breaking news and updates concerning all matters St. Louis sports, and MLB Daily Dish for all your MLB rumors and news.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton earned the nickname “Ground Chuck” last season for his ability to get grounders and keep the ball in the park.

But as Morton discovered during Tuesday night’s 10-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, when he’s up in the strike zone, the ball can go a long way.

Morton (1-2) allowed just six homers last season, the fewest in the majors among pitchers with at least 100 innings. The second one he’s served up this year was David Freese’s tiebreaking, three-run shot to right-center in the fifth, Freese’s sixth overall and third in five games.

Given the location of what was supposed to be a sinker in, Morton was not surprised where it landed.

“It was just up,” Morton said. “It didn’t do anything. It stayed up and he did a great job of staying back and hitting it to right-center.”

The Cardinals had dinged Morton for two early runs, but he was holding his own until losing control in the fifth. Matt Holliday singled with one out and Carlos Beltran walked ahead of Freese’s homer.

“He had a chance to get out (of it) but the ball just got up and flat and he missed spots,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He missed a lot of spots tonight and they did what they’re supposed to do and what they’ve been doing for a while now.”

The Pirates topped five runs, their season best for the first 21 games, for the second straight night after beating Atlanta 9-3 on Monday. But they committed four errors, matching their season worst April 20 also against the Cardinals in a 4-1 loss, leading to four unearned runs.

Morton gave up six runs, five earned, in 4 1-3 innings. Two starts ago he allowed one earned run in five innings in a 4-1 loss to the Cardinals.

“However the guys get on, they get on, and you have to make pitches and get out of situations,” Morton said. “However they get on, you have to do your job.”

Adam Wainwright worked seven solid innings for his first win since September 2010. Holliday homered in the sixth off Jared Hughes to cap a three-hit night with two RBIs.

Allen Craig had two hits and an RBI in his season debut after rehabbing from knee surgery performed last fall shortly after he belted three homers in the World Series. Rafael Furcal had two hits, including his first homer, a two-run shot off Tony Watson in the seventh that made it 10-4.

Wainwright (1-3) was hurt only by the long ball in his fifth start of the season, allowing five hits but giving up two-run homers to Jose Tabata in the third and Pedro Alvarez in the seventh. The right-hander totaled 39 wins from 2009-10 but missed last season following reconstructive elbow surgery, and became the last member of the rotation to get a win this year.

His previous victory was his 20th of the 2010 season.

“I think if you look at 90 percent of my game today, it was pretty good,” Wainwright said. “I feel like each time I’m getting a little sharper.”

Tabata ended a 140-at-bat homer drought dating to Aug. 17, 2011, against the Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse. Alvarez was the first Pirates player to reach double figures in RBIs with his sixth homer and a run-scoring single, giving him 12 on the year. Garret Jones has 10 RBIs after an RBI single off Fernando Salas in the eighth cut the deficit to three.

“We’re always finishing and grinding it out,” Alvarez said. “We’re playing to the last pitch. Maybe if we played a little better defense earlier in the game, we don’t find ourselves in that kind of a situation.”

Jason Motte worked the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

Plate umpire C.B. Buckner left the game due to illness during a pitching change with one out in the bottom of the seventh and a crew of three finished the game, with second base ump Dan Iassogna moving behind the plate. Buckner briefly went to the St. Louis clubhouse for attention during a break between innings before calling it a night.

NOTES: Lance Lynn (4-0, 1.33 ERA), off to a great start as the stand-in for injured ace Chris Carpenter , opposes A.J. Burnett (1-1, 1.38) in the second game of the three-game series Wednesday. … Slow-footed Cardinals C Yadier Molina is 4 for 4 in steals. He caught Morton so unaware in the fourth there was no throw and was on the front end of a double steal in the seventh that prompted a wild throw from catcher Rod Barajas , allowing a run to score. … Morton did not miss injured Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman , who is 8 for 14 with two homers and six RBIs against him.

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Adam Wainwright worked seven solid innings for his first win since September 2010, and the St. Louis Cardinals got big nights at the plate from David Freese and Matt Holliday to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-7 on Tuesday.

Freese’s sixth home run and third in five games was a tiebreaking, three-run shot off Charlie Morton (1-2) in the fifth. Holliday homered in the sixth off Jared Hughes to cap a three-hit night with two RBIs.

Allen Craig had two hits and an RBI in his season debut after rehabbing from knee surgery performed last fall shortly after he belted three homers in the World Series. Rafael Furcal had two hits, including his first homer _ a two-run shot off Tony Watson in the seventh that made it 10-4.

Wainwright (1-3) was hurt only by the long ball in his fifth start of the season, allowing five hits but giving up two-run homers to Jose Tabata in the third and Pedro Alvarez in the seventh. The right-hander totaled 39 wins from 2009-10 but missed last season following reconstructive elbow surgery, and became the last member of the rotation to get a win this year.

His previous victory was his 20th of the 2010 season.

In his first four starts, the Cardinals didn’t score while Wainwright was in the game. This time, he left with a 7-4 cushion. Wainwright’s ERA remains unsightly at 6.75, the highest at any point during his career as a starter, but he’s made strides the last two outings, with the Cubs getting one run in six innings April 24.

The Pirates topped five runs, their season best for the first 21 games, for the second straight night after beating Atlanta 9-3 on Monday. But they committed four errors, matching their season worst April 20 also against the Cardinals in a 4-1 loss, leading to four unearned runs.

Tabata ended a 140-at-bat homer drought dating to Aug. 17, 2011, against the Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse. Alvarez was the first Pirates player to reach double figures in RBIs with his sixth homer and a run-scoring single giving him 12 on the year. Garret Jones has 10 RBIs after an RBI single off Fernando Salas in the eighth cut the deficit to three.

Jason Motte worked the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

Plate umpire C.B. Buckner left the game due to illness during a pitching change with one out in the bottom of the seventh and a crew of three finished the game, with second base ump Dan Iassogna moving behind the plate. Buckner briefly went to the St. Louis clubhouse for attention during a break between innings before calling it a night.

Morton was the toughest pitcher to homer against in the majors last season, allowing just six in 171 2-3 innings, with five by left-handed hitters. Freese’s sixth of the season was the second in 21 1-3 innings this year, both by right-handed hitters. Ramon Hernandez of Colorado connected in Morton’s previous start.

Wainwright has allowed six homers in 26 2-3 innings, twice as many as anyone else in the rotation. In 2010, he permitted 15 homers in 230 1-3 innings.

NOTES: Lance Lynn (4-0, 1.33 ERA), off to a great start as the stand-in for injured ace Chris Carpenter, opposes A.J. Burnett (1-1, 1.38) in the second game of the three-game series Wednesday. … Slow-footed Cardinals C Yadier Molina is 4 for 4 in steals. He caught Morton so unaware in the fourth there was no throw and was on the front end of a double steal in the seventh that prompted a wild throw from catcher Rod Barajas, allowing a run to score. … Morton did not miss injured Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman, who is 8 for 14 with two homers and six RBIs against him. … Jon Jay and Molina each had two hits, and both have nine hits in the first four games of a six-game homestand.

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Milwaukee starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo is well aware of his struggles against the St. Louis Cardinals.

He simply doesn’t know how to correct the problem.

Gallardo’s woes continued Friday night as he gave up eight earned runs in a two-inning stint during a 13-1 loss at St. Louis. Gallardo fell to 1-9 with a 7.05 ERA in 13 career regular-season starts against the Cardinals.

“He wasn’t locating the ball at all,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “Everything went wrong.”

Gallardo (1-2) surrendered just four earned runs in three seven-inning starts prior to Friday’s contest. But he gave up eight runs on seven hits in the third inning. He also gave up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of an 11-5 loss to St. Louis on April 6.

“In the two or three starts I had before tonight, I just went out there and pitched my game,” Gallardo said. “I wasn’t thinking about too much. Today, I tried to do everything. I tried to do a lot more than I am capable of.”

Roenicke says the problem could be mental.

“Any time a team hits you like that, there are a lot of mental doubts,” Roenicke said.

The St. Louis hitters gave Jake Westbrook plenty of offensive support this time around setting season highs for runs in an inning.

St. Louis won for the eighth time in its last 12. Milwaukee has lost three of five.

Westbrook (3-1) gave up seven hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter. He has allowed two earned runs or less in all four of his starts this season.

Westbrook, who lowered his ERA to 1.30, was not given much help in a 2-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Cardinals managed just five hits in being shutout for the second time this season. Westbrook gave up two runs on seven hits but suffered his first loss of the season.

The St. Louis hitters made up for that goose-egg in a big way Friday.

“The offense was huge for us, the runs helped a lot,” Westbrook said. “I was able to throw strikes, get ahead of guys, keep the pitch count down and get deep in the game.”

Jon Jay had three hits and drove in three runs to pace a 15-hit attack. Skip Schumaker added two hits and three RBIs, and Matt Holliday had three hits and knocked in a pair.

Jay and Matt Carpenter drove in two runs each in the third as the Cardinals sent 12 batters to the plate.

Carlos Beltran and David Freese drove in Jay and Holliday to start the eight-run outburst. Yadier Molina drew a walk and Carpenter ripped a 3-2 pitch off the center-field wall to push the lead to 6-1. Schumaker followed with a run-scoring hit and Jay added a two-run single. Holliday capped off the frame with a run-scoring single to right.

“We just go out there and have good at-bats,” Jay said. “You just try and keep the line moving and that’s why we’ve been able to do some things.”

The eight-run outburst seemed to energize Westbrook. He allowed just three hits over four innings following the explosion.

St. Louis last scored eight runs in the fifth inning of a 13-5 win over Chicago on July 30, 2011.

The Cardinals have scored nine runs or more five times this season.

Schumaker, who has five hits in his last 12 at-bats, was happy to give Westbrook the necessary support.

“Luckily we gave him a little cushion,” Schumaker said. “It seems like we’re getting seven innings out of him every single time. He’s on an incredible run. Hopefully it keeps going.”

St. Louis pounded out 11 hits over the first three innings on the way to a 10-1 lead.

“All the way through the lineup guys really swung the bats well,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “It was just a good offensive day. It was fun to watch.”

Milwaukee jumped to a 1-0 lead on successive singles by Nyjer Morgan, Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez in the first. Westbrook then got Corey Hart to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“He’s on a roll,” Roenicke said of Westbrook. “He’s throwing the ball down in the zone real well. He gets ground balls when he needs to.”

St. Louis starting pitchers have recorded 12 wins the season, the highest total in both leagues.

NOTES: Milwaukee had given up the first run in its previous eight games before scoring in the top of the first Friday. … Molina will be presented with his fourth consecutive Gold Glove award prior to Saturday’s game. … Kyle Lohse (3-0, 0.99 ERA) will face Milwaukee’s Marco Estrada (0-0, 2.45) in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday. … The Cardinals, who began a six-game homestand Friday, played 13 of their first 19 games on the road. … Carpenter leads the Cardinals with 10 RBI at home. … Ramirez has hit safely in his last five games.

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