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National League Championship Series Game 3: Cardinals @ Dodgers

The Dodgers try to dig their way out of a 2-0 deficit in the National League Championship Series against the Cardinals on Monday night. The game will air on TBS.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor

How much does it have to suck to have two ace pitchers like Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke and you lose both of the games they start to begin a series, even though they pitched like the aces they are? That is the world the Dodgers find themselves in right now.

It's hard to muster much pity for them and their $216 million payroll. The Cardinals may have a significant Satanic pact, but the Dodgers aren't exactly Cinderella, grimy and suffering under the thumb of the evil step-sisters.

Oh, did I mention that in Game 3 of the NLCS, the Dodgers run into the Cardinals ace, Adam Wainwright, after they failed to beat a couple of rookies in the first two games? It is an uphill battle for the Dodgers, for sure. Sucks for them. They aren't exactly tossing dreck out their, with Korean rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu having performed capably in his first MLB season, but he's no Wainwright, and no one on the Dodgers has the postseason magic of Carlos Beltran.

If luck doesn't break their way, the Dodgers could find themselves facing the prospect of being swept at home on Tuesday.


LOS ANGELES DODGERS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Carl Crawford (L) - LF Matt Carpenter (L) - 2B
Mark Ellis (R) - 2B Carlos Beltran (S) - RF
Hanley Ramirez (R) - SS Matt Holliday (R) - LF
Adrian Gonzalez (L) - 1B Yadier Molina (R) - C
Andre Ethier (L) - CF David Freese (R) - 3B
Yasiel Puig (R) - RF Matt Adams (L) - 1B
Juan Uribe (R) - 3B Jon Jay (L) - CF
A.J. Ellis (R) - C Pete Kozma (R) - SS
Hyun-Jin Ryu (R) - P Adam Wainwright (R) - P