by BY JOE STRAUSS ¿ jstrauss@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8371 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

With a wasteful offense serving as co-conspirators, the Cardinals started awkwardly and trailed 5-2 after seven innings in a game that threatened to last more than four hours.

A game teasing star power instead offered inefficiency and catatonic pace. The staff stabilizer, Carpenter experienced a dull five innings that included 105 pitches, 14 baserunners and a microscopic comfort zone.

Leading before his first pitch, Carpenter trailed after three. The Cardinals failed to capitalize on regular opportunities against Dodgers lefthanded starter Randy Wolf and a string of relievers.

The longest nine-inning game in NL Division Series history also set records for waste. The loss was the Cardinals' first in a Division Series Game 1 since 2001, a span of five series.

Two teams that limped into the postseason needed only six innings to set a Division Series record by standing 23 runners combined.

The Dodgers left the bases loaded three times in a four-inning span.

The Cardinals were two for 10 with runners in scoring position through five innings but may spend the rest of the series wondering what might have been had they done more after loading the bases before the game's first out.

Wolf struck out left fielder Matt Holliday looking at three pitches. Right fielder Ryan Ludwick fouled off five two-strike pitches before landing a drop shot in front of slow-starting center fielder Matt Kemp. Any chance for a breakout evaporated when catcher Yadier Molina grounded Wolf's 32nd pitch of the inning into a 1-4-6-3 double play.

The lead barely lasted a TBS commercial break.

Carpenter showed up for his start with five wins in as many career starts over the Dodgers. The record, however, included seven earned runs in 13 innings in two starts at Dodger Stadium and a misleading seven-inning start at home this July at Busch Stadium in which four double plays and two fielding gems negated 11 hits in seven innings.

There was little rhythm to this start, partly due to the distended framework demanded by the playoff broadcast, partly due to Carpenter's obvious discomfort on the mound.

The Dodgers needed only three pitches to take a 2-1 lead against Carpenter in the bottom half.

A pitcher equally miserly with home runs and walks this season failed to avoid either. The Dodgers took the lead when shortstop and noted Cardinal killer Rafael Furcal singled to open the home first. Center fielder Matt Kemp then drilled a first-pitch home run to the left field pavilion.

Suddenly, a less-than-sold-out park pulsed. Carpenter groped for form that never came.

The Dodgers capitalized in the third inning when Carpenter hit leadoff hitter Andre Ethier with a breaking pitch, then walked left fielder Manny Ramirez.

A deep fly ball advanced Ethier to third base and third baseman Casey Blake's smash over the third-base bag scored him for a 3-1 lead.

Carpenter walked four against three strikeouts, the second time he has finished with more walks than strikeouts this season. The first occurred Sept. 25 in Colorado, giving him two such games in his last three starts.

In four starts since throwing a one-hitter at the Milwaukee Brewers, Carpenter has 18 strikeouts against 12 walks while surrendering 25 hits in 25 innings. The mix could give manager Tony La Russa pause should he contemplate bringing Carpenter back on short rest for a possible Game 4.

A fumbled bunt helped the Dodgers' final rally against Carpenter in the fifth inning. With none out and runners at first and second La Russa made a mound visit to set up a wheel play against speedy pinch hitter Juan Pierre, who chopped a bunt barely two feet in front of the plate.

However, Molina dropped the ball and had to take the out at first base. Furcal immediately lifted a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-2 game.

The damage against Carpenter would have been worse if the Dodgers had fared better than one for eight with runners in scoring position during his five innings. They left the bases loaded in the third and fourth innings and stranded a runner at third in the fifth.

The Cardinals' offense again stood accused of littering a game with perfectly good scoring chances, continuing a habit that festered for much of the past five weeks.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre wasted no time making clear that he will not allow Albert Pujols to be the series' difference-maker. After shortstop Brendan Ryan doubled behind second baseman Skip Schumaker's walk to lead off the game, Torre ordered Pujols intentionally walked to load the bases with none out. The Cardinals' inability to get more than one run set the tone for the night.

Advantage, LA Carpenter struggles on the mound as hitters struggle to drive in runs.

Copyright 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc. All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.