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ST. LOUIS — There will be playoff implications all around when the Los Angeles Dodgers travel to St. Louis for a four-game series starting Thursday http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , including thoughts of a potential preview for a one-game National League wild-card matchup.Where that playoff game could potentially be played could be decided starting with Thursday’s series opener, which will pit the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (7-5, 2.42 ERA) against the Cardinals‘ Austin Gomber (5-0, 2.93) in a battle of lefties.The Cardinals won all three games between the teams in Los Angeles three weeks ago. One victory in this series would give the Cardinals a home game if they were tied with the Dodgers at the end of the season in the wild-card standings.Article continues below ...The Dodgers are two games behind the Cardinals, who currently hold the second wild-card position in the National League.The Dodgers, though, remain intent on winning their sixth consecutive National League West title. By finally defeating the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday for the first time this season, the Dodgers temporarily moved one game behind the division-leading Colorado Rockies.The Dodgers had some offensive flow in that game, scoring eight runs, but otherwise it has been a stop-start year for the bats. The Dodgers have scored eight or more runs 11 times since the All-Star break. But they scored have three runs or fewer 25 times in the same span.“Our players have got to accept it because this is the way it’s gotta be with our roster,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to the Orange County Register. “I know it’s going to turn. We haven’t had (offensive) consistency all year. September, we obviously have a deeper roster but we’ve had these same inconsistencies all year. So it’s not about just September and this sample of September.”The Cardinals have found far more consistency in the second half as they went from near sellers at the non-waiver trade deadline to definite contenders barely over a month later.When the Cardinals swept the Dodgers toward the tail end of August, they were playing at their best. They lost Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Pirates and have endured a three-game losing streak since their sweep of the Dodgers, but St. Louis has still won 23 of its last 33 games.Not far away from being an afterthought in the NL Central, the Cardinals are still in striking distance of a division title Glenn Hubbard Jersey , but still would have to leapfrog the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers to claim that prize.Gomber has been a key contributor in the turnaround. He has solidified his spot in the rotation by going 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA in seven starts since the beginning of August. He faced the Dodgers last month, giving up two runs over five innings in a no-decision while seeing his 15-inning scoreless streak come to an end.Gomber is new to the league so this is his first charge toward the playoffs. But it is also new to the Cardinals’ Marcell Ozuna, who was previously with the Miami Marlins.“I’ve never been in that spot before,” Ozuna said, according to mlb.com. “Every at-bat, I go trying to push my team on top.”Kershaw is far more familiar with the rigors of a second-half playoff drive. He will enter Thursday’s start having not given up more than two earned runs in nine consecutive outings. Kershaw is 6-5 in 16 career starts against the Cardinals with a 2.99 ERA, but he has not faced St. Louis this season. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered on Zack Greinke’s first pitch of the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.Los Angeles began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card race.The Dodgers also announced they had acquired third baseman David Freese from the Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez.Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 33rd save. Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out, but Jansen struck out David Peralta and retired Eduardo Escobar on a grounder to shortstop.Enrique Hernandez also homered for Los Angeles, and Dylan Floro (5-3) got the win.Goldschmidt hit his 31st homer for Arizona, and Greinke (13-9) gave up six hits in 7 1/3 innings.WHITE SOX 6, RED SOX 1CHICAGO (AP) — Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson homered for Chicago, and prized prospect Michael Kopech combined with three relievers on a five-hitter.Major league-leading Boston had won three in a row, including a 9-4 victory in the opener of the four-game set. Its advantage in the AL Central was trimmed to 7 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who rallied for a 7-5 win over Detroit.Moncada made it 3-0 with a two-run drive against Nathan Eovaldi (5-7) in the first inning.Kopech, who was drafted by Boston in 2014 Rickey Henderson Jersey , gave up one hit in three innings before his outing was cut short by a long rain delay. Dylan Covey (5-12) pitched three-plus innings for the win.ATHLETICS 7, MARINERS 5OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty and Matt Chapman homered for Oakland, and Matt Olson had three hits.The Athletics pulled within 1 1/2 games of AL West-leading Houston and extended their lead for the second wild card to 5 1/2 games over Seattle.The A’s have won 20 of their last 29 games and are 26-13 since the All-Star break. The Mariners have lost four of five.Yusmeiro Petit (6-3) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win. Blake Treinen worked a scoreless ninth for his 34th save.Mariners starter Mike Leake (8-9) gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings.YANKEES 7, TIGERS 5NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres drove in the go-ahead run one batter after a contested check swing loaded the bases in the eighth inning, and the Yankees beat the Tigers while awaiting the arrival of 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar homered for New York in the sixth. Detroit right-hander Jordan Zimmermann carried a 3-0 lead and a no-hitter into the inning behind a solo homer from Niko Goodrum and a two-run triple by Jim Adduci.Zach Britton (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and David Robertson worked the ninth for his fifth save.Detroit reliever Joe Jimenez (4-4) recorded two outs and was charged with three runs.McCutchen is expected to join New York on Saturday after he was acquired in a trade with San Francisco. The 31-year-old McCutchen is hitting .255 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs.BREWERS 4, NATIONALS 1WASHINGTON (AP) — Jhoulys Chacin pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer, leading Milwaukee to its third straight win.The Brewers also made a flurry of moves, snagging left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez from the Washington Nationals, steady outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Toronto Blue Jays and lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno from the Chicago White Sox.Jesus Aguilar and Erik Kratz homered for Milwaukee, which holds the second NL wild-card spot. Chacin (14-5) allowed a run in 6 1/3 innings, and Jeremy Jeffress pitched the ninth for his eighth save.Washington’s Tanner Roark (8-14) allowed four runs over six innings.INDIANS 3, RAYS 0CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber pitched seven sparkling innings for the Indians, and Edwin Encarnacion hit his 29th homer.Kluber (17-7) struck out eight and walked two in Cleveland’s AL-best 14th shutout. Cody Allen worked a perfect eighth and Brad Hand finished the two-hitter for his 31st save.AL Central-leading Cleveland won for the fourth time in five games Catfish Hunter Jersey , and then finalized a trade with Toronto for 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson.Encarnacion snapped a scoreless tie with a solo drive to center off Tyler Glasnow (1-4) in the seventh. The Indians added two more in the ninth when Greg Allen scored on a wild pitch and Michael Brantley singled home Francisco Lindor.PHILLIES 2, CUBS 1, 10 INNINGSPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Asdrubal Cabrera homered in the 10th, lifting the Phillies to the win in a game played through steady rain.Cabrera connected off Steve Cishek (4-2), driving an opposite-field shot to left-center to help the Phillies pull within two games of Atlanta in the NL East.Javier Baez hit his 29th homer for the NL Central-leading Cubs.Pat Neshek (2-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning.BLUE JAYS 6, MARLINS 5MIAMI (AP) — Justin Smoak connected for a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning, sending the Blue Jays to the victory.Toronto trailed 5-1 heading into the ninth. The Blue Jays loaded the bases on Danny Jansen’s one-out infield single before the Marlins replaced Kyle Barraclough with Drew Steckenrider (4-4).Aledmys Diaz then struck out looking, but Devon Travis forced in a run with a walk and Smoak drove Steckenrider’s 0-2 pitch over the wall in right for his 22nd homer.Joe Biagini (3-7) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win and Ken Giles worked a shaky ninth for his 19th save.PIRATES 3, BRAVES 2ATLANTA (AP) — Gregory Polanco’s eighth-inning single drove in Adam Frazier with the tiebreaking run for the Pirates.Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon (11-9) gave up two runs in seven innings. Felipe Vazquez pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 29th save.The Pirates led 2-0 before Taillon gave up homers in back-to-back innings, to rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. in the sixth and Johan Camargo leading off the seventh.Frazier scored the unearned run on Polanco’s single up the middle off Brad Brach (2-4).TWINS 10, RANGERS 7ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Cave hit a tiebreaking homer in Minnesota’s eight-run fifth inning.Tyler Austin started the fifth with his 15th home run and Mitch Garver’s three-run double pulled the Twins even after Nomar Mazara’s three-run shot had given the Rangers a 6-0 lead in the fourth.Cave’s eighth homer in his rookie season was a two-run shot off Matt Moore (3-7).Matt Magill (3-2) and three other Minnesota relievers combined to strike out nine in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.Texas has lost five straight.ANGELS 3, ASTROS 0HOUSTON (AP) — Andrelton Simmons hit a two-run homer in a three-run sixth inning for the Angels.Jaime Barria (9-8) scattered three hits and one walk in six innings, improving to 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in six starts in August. Blake Parker got three outs for his 13th save.Houston starter Framber Valdez (2-1) was charged with a run and two hits in five-plus innings for his first loss after winning his last two games.ROYALS 9, ORIOLES 2KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn drove in four runs and Whit Merrifield scored three times for the Royals in a matchup of the two worst records in the majors.Hunter Dozier and Cam Gallagher also homered to help lead the Royals to their fifth win in six games on their current homestand. Brad Keller (7-5) gave up two runs in eight innings.Cedric Mullins homered for Baltimore. Andrew Cashner (4-13) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.CARDINALS 12 Rollie Fingers Jersey , REDS 5ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong hit a three-run homer and a two-run single for a career-high five RBIs.Matt Carpenter hit his NL-best 35th homer as St. Louis pulled within 3 1/2 games of NL Central-leading Chicago. Austin Gomber (5-0) pitched seven effective innings and also contributed a two-run double.Scooter Gennett and Scott Schebler had three hits apiece for last-place Cincinnati, which has dropped three straight and eight of nine. Homer Bailey (1-13) was charged with seven runs, three earned, and nine hits in five innings.PADRES 7, ROCKIES 0SAN DIEGO (AP) — Franmil Reyes, Luis Urias and Wil Myers homered for San Diego, and Brett Kennedy pitched six innings of four-hit ball.Reyes, who hit a game-ending homer in the 13th inning Thursday night, went deep in the fourth. Urias belted a two-run shot in San Diego’s five-run eighth for his first career homer.The Rockies dropped into third place in the NL West, but remained 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading Diamondbacks.Kennedy (1-2) struck out two and walked two in the Padres’ season-high fourth straight win.Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela (4-5) pitched six innings of one-run ball.GIANTS 7, METS 0SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie left-hander Andrew Suarez pitched seven crisp innings, leading San Francisco to the win.Suarez (6-9) allowed two hits, struck out five and walked none. Tony Watson worked the eighth and Ty Blach finished the three-hitter.New York’s Zack Wheeler (9-7) pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his first loss since June 22. He had won seven straight decisions.Chris Shaw hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh. Aramis Garcia homered leading off the eighth for the Giants‘ second run.It was the first major league appearance for Shaw and Garcia.