The Dodgers and Cardinals have already played seven times in 2013, and are set for potentially seven more games in the National League Championship Series beginning in St. Louis on Friday. The Dodgers beat the Cardinals in four of their seven matchups during the regular season, but as we saw during both NLDS matchups that doesn't hold much predictive value.
The Braves were 5-2 against the Dodgers but were eliminated in four games, and the Pirates were 10-9 against St. Louis before falling in five games in their National League Division Series.
So with the caveat of understanding that teams change throughout the season, here is a look back at the seven regular season games between the Cardinals and Dodgers in 2013:
May 24 at Dodger Stadium: Cardinals 7, Dodgers 0
Remember when Chris Capuano alternated between zero and five earned runs allowed in every start? This was one of the bad ones, as he allowed home runs to Allen Craig and David Freese in a blowout St. Louis win. Lance Lynn, arguably the Cardinals' fourth-best starter, struck out nine batters in six shutout innings for the win.
May 25 at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 3
Ted Lilly was effective in his first start back from a stiff neck, and retired 14 straight batters into the sixth inning. But a one-out walk ended his game at 79 pitches, a limit Lilly wasn't aware of. But the story of the game was a struggling Matt Kemp getting double switched out of a close game for first time since becoming a regular, something manager Don Mattingly called 'just a baseball move.'
May 26 at Dodger Stadium: Cardinals 5, Dodgers 3
The matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Shelby Miller kind of fizzled out an Kershaw took the loss by allowing four runs in his seven innings. Pete Kozma tied a Dodger Stadium record with three doubles.
Aug. 5 at Busch Stadium: Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2
Zack Greinke, who will start for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS, pitched into the seventh and allowed two runs, and also drove in what proved to be the winning run in the seventh inning with a single against Adam Wainwright. The key play was Yasiel Puig and Nick Punto unleashing two strong throws on a relay to nail Allen Craig at the plate in the fifth inning. The Dodgers won their 15th consecutive road game, the longest streak in the National League since the 1957 Reds.
Aug. 6 at Busch Stadium: Cardinals 5, Dodgers 1
Kershaw took another loss as he allowed two whole runs, and was beaten by NLCS Game 1 starter Joe Kelly, who allowed one run. Carlos Beltran and Matt Adams each homered against Brandon League in the eighth inning to break open a one-run game.
Aug. 7 at Busch Stadium: Dodgers 13, Cardinals 4
Miller got hurt after just two pitches an the Dodgers pounded Jake Westbrook for nine runs in relief. Carl Crawford had four hits while both Andre Ethier and Skip Schumaker each had three hits and four RBI in the blowout victory.
Aug. 8 at Busch Stadium: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 1
Hyun-Jin Ryu struck out seven and allowed only an unearned run in his seven innings, and catcher A.J. Ellis hit a tie-breaking, three-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Dodgers a road series win and their fourth win against the Cardinals in seven contests in 2013.