A capsule look at the Dodgers-Cardinals playoff series

Monday, Oct. 4, 2004 | 10:11 a.m.

A look at the best-of-five National League division series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals:

Schedule:@ (All times Eastern) Game 1, Tuesday, at St. Louis (1:09 p.m., ESPN); Game 2, Thursday, at St. Louis (8:19 p.m., FOX); Game 3, Saturday, at Los Angeles (TBA); x-Game 4, Sunday, at Los Angeles (TBA); x-Game 5, Monday, at St. Louis (TBA).

x-if necessary.

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Season Series:@ St. Louis won 4-2.

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Projected Lineups

Dodgers:@ SS Cesar Izturis (.288, 4 HRs, 62 RBIs, 25 SBs), LF Jayson Werth (.262, 16, 47), CF Steve Finley (.271, 36, 94), 3B Adrian Beltre (.334, 48, 121, 104 runs, 200 hits), 1B Shawn Green (.266, 28, 86), RF Milton Bradley (.267, 19, 67, 15 SBs), 2B Alex Cora (.264, 10, 47) or 2B Jose Hernandez (.289, 13, 29), C Brent Mayne (.221, 0, 15) or C David Ross (.170, 5, 15).

Cardinals:@ 2B Tony Womack (.307, 5, 38, 26 SBs), RF Larry Walker (.298, 17, 47 in 258 at-bats with Colorado and St. Louis), 1B Albert Pujols (.331, 46, 123, 51 2Bs, 133 runs), 3B Scott Rolen (.314, 34, 124), CF Jim Edmonds (.301, 42, 111, 38 2Bs), 2B Edgar Renteria (.287, 10, 72, 17 SBs), LF Reggie Sanders (.260, 22, 67, 21 SBs), C Mike Matheny (.247, 5, 50).

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Projected Rotations

Dodgers:@ LH Odalis Perez (7-6, 3.25 ERA, 18 no-decisions), RH Jeff Weaver (13-13, 4.01), RH Jose Lima (13-5, 4.07).

Cardinals:@ RH Woody Williams (11-8, 4.18), RH Jason Marquis (15-7, 3.71), RH Matt Morris (15-10, 4.72), RH Jeff Suppan (16-9, 4.16).

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Relievers

Dodgers:@ RH Eric Gagne (7-3, 2.19 ERA, 45/47 saves, 114 Ks in 82 1-3 innings), RH Yhency Brazoban (6-2, 2.48), LH Wilson Alvarez (7-6, 4.03), RH Giovanni Carrara (5-2, 2.18), RH Elmer Dessens (2-6, 4.46), RH Duaner Sanchez (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 67 games), LH Kazuhisa Ishii (13-8, 4.71).

Cardinals:@ RH Jason Isringhausen (4-2, 2.87, 47/54 saves), RH Julian Tavarez (7-4, 2.38, 4/6 saves), LH Ray King (5-2, 2.61), LH Steve Kline (2-2, 1.79, 3/4 saves), RH Kiko Calero (3-1, 2.78, 2/3 saves), RH Cal Eldred (4-2, 3.76), RH Dan Haren (3-3, 4.50).

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Matchups

Cardinals took season series 4-2, including three-game sweep at St. Louis in early September - first sweep vs. LA since June 2000. Morris won opener with two-hitter, striking out 11. ... Lima, Weaver and Ishii were combined 0-2 in five starts vs. Cardinals. ... Edmonds (.435, two HRs, six RBIs) hit Dodgers well, but Renteria was 0-for-20. ... Beltre homered twice against St. Louis. ... Gagne had two saves. ... Cora is 1-for-24 lifetime against Williams. ... Faced each other in the 1985 NLCS - Cardinals won in six games on Jack Clark's clinching homer.

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Big Picture

Dodgers:@ Los Angeles (93-69) won first NL West title since 1995 and qualified for postseason for first time since doing so as wild card the following year. Haven't won postseason game since 1988 World Series. ... Have shaky starting rotation, but have shown penchant for late rallies. Recorded NL-leading 53 comeback victories - a franchise record - and won 26 games in last at-bat, including Saturday's division-clinching 7-3 victory over Giants, when they scored all their runs in bottom of ninth. ... Extra offday during series allows manager Jim Tracy to go with three-man rotation, leaving Ishii to come out of bullpen. Perez would pitch Game 4 and Weaver would pitch Game 5. ... After having lead over San Francisco cut to half-game on Sept. 22, Dodgers won seven of next 10 games - including three of five from Giants to clinch division title.

Cardinals:@ Led majors with 105 wins, topped NL in batting and runs. Finished second in ERA, just behind Atlanta. ... Making fourth postseason appearance in five years and this could be most complete team. ... Were first team to clinch, and have battled doldrums while finishing 8-7. Still, were 82-35 after entering May 27 with 23-22 record. ... Won 20 more games than last year, best by far among playoff teams. ... Biggest loss is potential Game 1 starter RH Chris Carpenter (15-5, 3.46), likely out for entire postseason with nerve damage to right biceps. ... Handful of others have returned from injuries. Rolen (calf) missed 16 games, Kline (groin) was out 28 and Womack (left hand) missed only two games. All returned in final week of regular season. ... May have best lineup in the majors, with Aug. 6 trade for RF Larry Walker augmenting attack.

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Watch For

- The Three Amigos. Cardinals' trio of MVP candidates - Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds - combined for 122 HRs and 358 RBIs. But Edmonds enters playoffs in 1-for-29 slump, didn't start in regular-season finale and played only the ninth inning to preserve .301 average.

- Bullpen bluster. Cardinals relievers led NL with 3.02 ERA. Jason Isringhausen tied franchise record for saves, and Tavarez and Kline also are capable of closing.

- Playoff debuts. Beltre, in first postseason, has had MVP-type year even if San Francisco's Barry Bonds actually wins award. Gagne missed recent time because of ailing pitching shoulder, but says he's healthy now, although recent statistics don't reflect that.

- Clutch-hitting Finley. World Series veteran, acquired from last-place Arizona at trade deadline, has added needed bat in middle of lineup and stability in clubhouse.

- Dodgers' terrific defense. Committed big league-low 72 errors. Left side of infield, with Beltre and Izturis, is one of baseball's best, and Cora is exceptional defensively as well.