Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork. Ed Dickson Seahawks Jersey .com) - Matt Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals knocked around Clayton Kershaw in another postseason stunner. Carpenters four RBI included a three-run double in an eight-run seventh inning and the Cardinals held on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-9 on Friday to open their NL Division Series. Kershaw and Adam Wainwright squared off in the first postseason game in 45 years to feature two 20-win starters with sub-2.40 ERAs. But what was supposed to be a pitchers duel between two staff aces turned into a slugfest, and Kershaw saw the worst of it. The presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner retired 16 batters in a row between Randal Grichuks one-out homer in the first inning and Carpenters two-out blast in the sixth, and his team had a 6-1 lead after scoring six runs off Wainwright in 4 1/3 innings. But the first four Cardinals batters hit singles in the seventh, starting a deluge that didnt end until Kershaw was on the bench, presumably wondering how the NL Central champions got the best of him again. Last year, Kershaw gave up seven runs in four innings in the decisive Game 6 of the NL Championship Series, which the Cardinals won 9-0 to reach the World Series for the third time in eight years. He was the first pitcher in major-league history to give up seven runs or more in back-to-back postseason starts. I feel terrible. Its an awful feeling to let your teammates down, said Kershaw. They were playing great, got a bunch of runs for me and I couldnt hold it. The Dodgers brought the go-ahead run to the plate twice in the ninth inning against Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal but scored just once and stranded the tying run at third base when Yasiel Puig struck out. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Saturday in Los Angeles. Weve been through a lot, said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. I dont think we have to defend ourselves as a team. Well be ready tomorrow. It was a loss tonight. Its gotta be put behind us. Kershaws pitching line was stunning: eight runs and eight hits, but also 10 strikeouts and no walks in 6 2/3 innings. Also a strong candidate for NL MVP, Kershaw (0-1) had won his last seven starts. Matt Holliday added a three-run homer in the seventh inning for the Cardinals, who clinched their second straight division title on the final day of the season. A.J. Ellis had four hits for the NL West-champion Dodgers, including a two-run homer off Wainwright. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer off Randy Choate in the eighth to get the Dodgers with two. Tempers flared in the third inning after Wainwright hit Puig in the arm. The next batter, Gonzalez, jawed with catcher Yadier Molina, causing the benches and bullpens to clear, though no punches were thrown. The bad blood dates to Game 1 of the NLCS last year when Dodgers star Hanley Ramirez was hit in the side, and was bolstered by several bean-ball incidents this season. Matt Adams hit the fourth straight single for the Cardinals in the seventh, knocking in the first run. Jon Jay added a one-out RBI single and Carpenter fouled off five pitches before stroking his double off the right-center field wall, changing the tone of the game. They got a couple guys on base and they gained confidence really fast, said Kershaw. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny explained the rally as his players taking a simpler approach against Kershaw and not trying to do too much. And then you just hope someone comes up with a big hit, he said. Holliday hit his 13th career postseason home run off Baez, drawing a pained look from Kershaw in the dugout as the Cardinals turned a 6-2 deficit into a 10-6 lead. After Puig drew a one-out walk off Carlos Martinez in the eighth, Gonzalez hit a 1-1 slider to right-center to get the Dodgers within two run and Dee Gordon had an RBI groundout in the ninth. The Dodgers scored after Puig was hit in the third, sparking a two-run rally. The two-out runs came on Ramirezs single and Carl Crawfords ground-rule double. Puig and Matt Kemp added RBI singles in a two-run fourth and Ellis chased Wainwright with his homer to left in the fifth, which made it 6-1. Game Notes Kershaw eight) and Wainwright (six) gave up the same number of runs in this game that they allowed in each of their five unbeaten September starts ... Kershaw was asked about a comment made on the TV broadcast that he might be tipping his pitches to Cardinals players when he works out of the stretch. I think thats discrediting their team when you start thinking about that, Kershaw responded. Thats just a cop out ...Grichuk, a rookie outfielder, had just three homers in 116 plate appearances during the regular season ... Marco Gonzales (1-0) threw a perfect sixth for the win ... The Cardinals went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded just one runner. The Dodgers were 4-for-11, leaving 11 men on base. Sebastian Janikowski Jersey . Former two-time Olympic gold medallist Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine in both her "A" and "B" samples, the German Olympic Committee said. Alex McGough Jersey . With the team he supported as a child on the verge of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Ba instead scored the goal that knocked them out. http://www.footballseahawksfanatics.com/authentic-rasheem-green-seahawks-jersey/ .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers several questions each week. This week, topics include the "bean wars" between the Red Sox and Rays, Blue Jays draft pick Jeff Hoffman, Justin Verlanders struggles, and surprising all-star voting results. 1) In light of the “bean wars” between Tampa Bay and Boston, what should the league do to reduce the number of retaliatory on-field incidents? Are the suspensions enough of a deterrent? Major League Baseball has reduced the number of on-field violent confrontations in a pretty significant way from the 1980s and before. The issuing of warnings to teams after a potentially intentional beaning has reduced the number of retaliatory responses. As we saw in the Rays/Red Sox series, boys will still be boys but it is better now than it used to be. Baseball also has a “heads up” program where umpires are alerted prior to a series about any bad blood that exists between the teams. Umpires can issue warnings before a game if they believe the lingering animosity could surface. This pregame warning serves as a deterrent and puts players on notice that at the first sign of monkey business there will be action taken. There are two changes that I would make to further address this issue. Firstly, I would encourage umpires to eject the instigator in a bean ball situation. Too many times the pitcher who strikes first suffers no penalty. Rays pitcher Davis Price hit Res Sox slugger David Ortiz with a pitch that may have been intentional. The umpire chose to only issue a warning to both teams. That was done with the intent of heading off possible retaliation against the Rays. That warning didnt work and Brandon Workman, Red Sox pitcher, was later ejected for throwing a pitch behind Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. If Price had been ejected, then the Red Sox would not have felt as compelled to bean Longoria for payback. Price didnt get a suspension at all. Second, I would institute a “no third-man in” policy. If there is a fight on the field, no other player can leave his position on the field or in the dugouts and bullpen. If they do then they face an automatic 10-game suspension. This should serve as a team deterrent that will keep all-out brawls from occurring. Thirdly, I propose that penalties become stiffer for the initial combatants as well. If you fight, you know you will serve at least a five-game suspension for a position player and relief pitcher and a 15-game suspension for a starting pitcher. It would be great to end all on-field violence. It wont ever happen but these changes would get us a bit closer. 2) The Blue Jays used the ninth-overall draft pick on Jeff Hoffman on Thursday; a player who just underwent Tommy John surgery. What does this say about the Jays development strategy, especially in light of Alex Anthopoulos drafting habits in the past? The Blue Jays have been drawn to the high-ceiling type players in the first round under Anthopoulos. They have shot for the moon. They want impact from their first round pick. Nowadays, many teams like predictability in first round selections. They will take less impact and a lower ceiling for a greater likelihood that the player will get to the majors. Not the Jays. Jeff Hoffman was thought to be one of the top three picks in this draft prior to injuring his arm and undergoing Tommy John surgery. This selection makes a statement on so many levels. First, the Jays believe that Hoffman is an extraordinary talent. Why else would any team take a baseball player whose injury prohibits him from doing what he does best? Secondly, the Jays believe in Tommy John surgery. It isnt quite as predictable as getting ones tonsils removed but the track record of success is very good. The Jays fully expect Hoffman to be 100 %. Thirdly, the Jays are saving money. Hoffman is a value because they took him with the ninth pick when many thought he could go as high as second overall. With the injury, the Jays will likely save some money but they are also assuming some level of risk and that has dollar value. With multiple first round selections, the Jays gave themselves the financial flexibility to get their picks signed this year. The fact that Hoffman is a college pitcher means that he is a bit more advanced in his development than if he were a high school pitcher and therefore missing some playing time now should not set his development back much at all. 3) Justin Verlanders 2014 numbers have been less than inspirational. Hes 6-5 on a first-place club, has an ERA over 4.00, is presently sporting the worst WHIP of his career, and hasnt logged a complete game since 2012. Should the alarm bells be going offf for the Tigers? The Tigers should be alarmed about Justin Verlander. Rashaad Penny Jersey. He is still a good pitcher but the dominant overpowering ace from a few years back is no longer on their roster. Verlander has thrown 1,885 innings in eight and a half years, which includes seasons of 251, 240, and 238 innings pitched in individual seasons. He has thrown the most pitches in baseball this year. In fact, he has thrown the most pitches in baseball since 2009. He has led the league in pitches thrown every year but one from 2009-2014. In 2010 he finished four pitches behind Dan Haren for second most. Verlander is a workhorse. He loves to go deep in the game and he loves to strike out hitters. He has been an amazing pitcher. The fact that he has such great stuff is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because he has won a ton of games for Detroit. It is a curse because he has been so good that he works deep counts since he strikes out so many hitters. And he has always been a better option for the manager than anyone in the bullpen, so he pitches deeper in the game. All of this has taken a toll. He is wearing down a bit. We have seen CC Sabathia fall off over the past couple of years because of the same reasons. The arm only has so many bullets and they have both used their fair share. Verlander can still be successful, but he is going to have to make adjustments. Command has to be more important than velocity for him. He used to regularly run his fastball into the high 90s. He no longer can pitch there. If he tries to generate too much velocity from delivery, his command suffers. Verlander needs to try and retire hitters on three pitches or less with well-located pitches. Velocity cant matter. This will allow him to be more efficient now and give him more years on the back end of his career. 4) The most recent All Star vote tally had some very interesting results. Torontos Melky Cabrera, is ranked third among AL outfielders in voting. Orioles designated hitter, Nelson Cruz, passed Red Sox slugger David Ortiz for the top DH. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is in a close race in the NL outfield as well. Why are these results so significant? All three of these players have served suspensions for performance enhancement drugs. Yet, the fans seem to be putting that aside as they consider their performances this year. The fans believe that what they are seeing on the field is legitimate and real. They dont think it is enhanced. It is just good ol fashioned baseball. The All Star balloting has long been a popularity contest. The fans votes dont always coincide with the players votes or the stats. If the fans like a certain player, he has a shot to be an all-star regardless of his numbers. What is even more amazing is that the fans arent holding grudges like they have in the past. It had seemed that fans wanted to send a message to cheaters that their actions were unacceptable. One of the few ways they could do that was with their voting. But that feeling seems to be waning. Fans are either forgiving the players for past wrongs or just accepting of what has happened to the game. Either way, we all win. I have learned that giving forgiveness is not for the other person but it is for me. When I forgive someone they may react in any number of ways. But when I give forgiveness it releases a burden on me. I no longer feel pain and resentment. Baseball fans are showing healthy growth by surrendering their anger to baseball players. It shows growth. It shows a certain trust in the drug policy. It shows compassion and understanding. My hope is that baseball writers will take the lead of the fans. Writers feel duped by players. They feel like they were made fools of for celebrating home runs and record-setting accomplishments. They resent it and dont ever want to get burned that way again. My hope is that the writers will move to a place of forgiveness of the players as well. It is time to move forward. The writers need to look at the steroid era as just that, an era. It wasnt done to them. It was just what happened and they were there to document it. So they should document it. Vote steroid users in the Hall of Fame. Lets appropriately remember what happened so we dont repeat our mistakes. The writers should make history by passing that history forward. It is time to heal. It is the right thing for all of us that made mistakes in the steroid era of baseball. So let this day start the all-out campaign for Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Ryan Braun for the All Star team! Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Discount Jerseys China NFL Hoodies China NFL Hoodies Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China ' ' '