ST. LOUIS — When the St. Louis Cardinals face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Wild Card Game, it will be another entry in the long playoff history of two of the most storied franchises in the sport.
The Cardinals have faced the Dodgers in a playoff series five times, more than any other National League opponent, but the two have never reached a winner-take-all game. Although the Cardinals have won four of those five series, the teams are often closely matched with the games coming down to the wire.
While we wait for the first pitch on Wednesday, let's take a look at the playoff history between the Cardinals and Dodgers.
1985 NLCS: Cardinals defeat Dodgers in six games
The 1985 NLCS was a clash of the National League's top teams, each led by Hall of Fame managers. On Whitey Herzog's side, the Cardinals had the best record in baseball at 101-61 and were back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 1982.
The deep Cardinals roster was led in the field by Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee and Tom Herr and a rotation featuring of John Tutor, Joaquin Andujar and Danny Cox.
Tommy Lasorda managed the Dodgers to a 95-67 record, led by the pitching of Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela and the solid play of Pedro Guerrero and Mike Scioscia.
The Cardinals dropped the first two games of the series at Dodger Stadium, but they stormed back to win the next four behind the heroics of Ozzie Smith and Jack Clark.
Notable performers
John Tutor had a 1.93 ERA in two starts, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss to even the series in Game 4.
The bullpen was a weapon for Herzog in the series, with five pitchers combining to allow just four runs in 18 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers' Bill Madlock led both teams with seven runs batted in, and Valenzuela hand a 1.88 ERA in 14 1/3 innings, but it wasn't enough for the Dodgers.
Tommy Herr drove in a team-best six runs, but the runs that will be remembered came off the bats of NLCS MVP Ozzie Smith and slugger Jack Clark.
Key moments
Ozzie Smith stepped to the plate with one out and the bases empty in the ninth inning of Game 5. With the series and the game both tied 2-2, the Cardinals were looking to take an edge before returning to Dodger Stadium for Game 6.
With Dodgers' closer Tom Niedenfuer on the mound, Smith stepped to the dish to hit from the left side of the plate. Despite never hitting a left-handed home run in his major league career, Smith corked one down the line, and the rest was history.
Two days later, the Dodgers looked like even the series and force a Game 7, but with the Cardinals trailing 5-4 in the ninth inning, Clark stepped to the plate with two runners on and hit the shot that would all but end the series.
What happened next:
The Cardinals would go on to lose the World Series in heartbreaking fashion to the Kansas City Royals in seven games. Cardinals fans will remember Game 6 as the Don Denkinger game. The Cardinals had another chance to bring home the title in Game 7, but lost 11-0.
The Dodgers wouldn't return to the playoffs again until 1988, the year Kirk Gibson hit his famous home run off Dennis Eckersley. It sparked the Dodgers to a Game 1 win and an eventual 4-1 series win.
2004 NLDS: Cardinals defeat Dodgers in four games
The St. Louis Cardinals looked like an unstoppable force in the 2004 regular season, rocking to a 105-57 record. Led by Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa, the team touted an MV3 in the middle of the lineup with Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen all hit more than 30 home runs, had more than 100 RBIs and batting averages north of .300.
Though pitching was a bit sparse, they were led by veterans Woody Williams, Matt Morris and a burgeoning Chris Carpenter in his first season with the team. All five of the team's starters won more than 10 games, but only Carpenter and Jason Marquis had ERAs starting with a number lower than four. A sharp bullpen led by relief ace Jason Isrenhausen and Steve Kline rounded out the pitching offerings.
The Dodgers were a bit scrappier. The 92-win club was led by superstar third basemen Adrian Beltre, who had 48 home runs and 200 hits in the regular season. Their pitching staff was similar to the Cardinals', featuring solid starters like Jeff Weaver and Jose Lima, and a bullpen stud in Eric Gagne.
The Cardinals cruised to wins in Games 1 and 2 and closed out the series with a 6-3 win in Game 4.
Notable performers
Williams and Jeff Suppan were solid in starts for the Cardinals and six of the seven bullpen arms used by the Cardinals allowed no runs in the series.
For the Dodgers, Jose Lima threw a complete-game shutout in Game 3, but it was tough sledding for pretty much everyone else.
After hitting 28 home runs in the regular season, Shawn Green hit three in the series, but all three were solo shots. His three RBI's led the Dodgers, but weren't nearly enough to keep up with the Cardinals.
Two-thirds of the MV3 were quiet in the series, but young star Albert Pujols' two home runs tied with Larry Walker for the team lead in that stat and his five RBIs were tied with veteran catcher Mike Matheny for the team lead.
Key moments
The Cardinals set the tone for the series early, crushing an NLDS record five home runs in Game 1, including two from Hall of Famer Larry Walker.
(You can hear Mike Shannon chuckling his way through some of the home runs.)
What happened next
The Cardinals went on to beat the Houston Astros in a hard-fought NLCS before getting swept by the team-of-destiny Boston Red Sox.
2009 NLDS: Dodgers sweep Cardinals in three games
Cardinals fans, look away.
The Cardinals' top-heavy lineup and rotation led them to a 91-71 regular-season record and NL Central title in 2009. Albert Pujols led the team in every offensive category while Ryan Ludwig and trade deadline acquisition Matt Holliday provided some protection. Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright put up Cy Young-worthy numbers in the regular season, but the bullpen was sparse on strikeout stuff.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, had a deep lineup and solid bullpen. Their rotation was led by 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw who had a 2.79 ERA in his second full season. The lineup was loaded in the outfield with young studs Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and all-time great Manny Ramierez.
The Dodgers got an early lead in the series, broke some hearts in Game 2 and made it quick with a sweep.
Notable performers
For the Cardinals, there were very few bright spots in the series. The team only had six runs in three games, and no player had multiple RBIs. Holliday hit the team's lone home run and mid-season pickup Mark DeRosa led the team with five hits.
Wainwright was the lone bright spot for the team. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball in Game 2, but was stuck with a no-decision after Ryan Franklin failed to close it down.
Clayton Kershaw and Vicente Padilla both pitched past the sixth inning in Games 2 and 3 respectively, allowing a combined two runs.
The Dodger bats were led by Andre Ethier and Rafael Furcal, who each had six hits in 12 at-bats. Ethier's two home runs led the team as well. But the hit that had the most impact came off the bat of Mark Loretta in his lone plate appearance of the season.
Key moments
After entering the game with a 2-1 lead and one out in the ninth, Ryan Franklin found himself just fighting to keep the game tied. Three hitters after Holliday dropped what would have been the game-ending out, Franklin found himself staring down Loretta with the bases loaded. What came next essentially ended the series.
The Cardinals scuffled to a 5-1 loss in their lone home game of the series and packed up for the season.
What happened next
The Dodgers lost in the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies, but both teams looked poised for more playoff showdowns in the future.
2013 NLCS: Cardinals defeat Dodgers in six games
The Cardinals were the top team in a loaded NL Central, beating out the 94-win Pirates and the 90-win Reds for the NL Central crown. They were coming of a 5-game NLDS win over those pesky Pirates when matched up with the 92-win Dodgers.
The Cardinals featured a deep lineup with production from Yadier Molina (a team-best 319 batting average), Allen Craig (a team-best 97 RBIs) and Matt Carpenter (a team-best 199 hits and 55 doubles). Add in David Freese, Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran and you are looking at a stout lineup.
Adam Wainwright led a pretty young staff. Alongside a 31-year-old Waino, the Cardinals headed into the playoffs with 26-year-old Lance Lynn, 25-year-old Joe Kelly and 22-year-old secret weapon Michael Wacha.
The Dodgers countered with a strong staff of their own. Cy Young winners Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke were the main attractions, but newcomer Hyun Jin Ryu was coming off an impressive first season in MLB.
The Dodgers' lineup was anchored by mainstays Ethier and Kemp and bolstered by 2012 additions Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez and young gun Yasiel Puig.
This was the first great series between these two teams since 1985, and unexpected stars came up big for both teams.
Notable performers
The Dodgers got excellent performances from their starting pitching in each of the first three games, but only had one win to show for it. Despite Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw allowing a combined three runs in 14 innings through the first two games, the Cardinals led the series 2-0. Ryu got the Dodgers in the win column with a scoreless, seven-inning effort in a 3-0 win. That starting pitching would not last, as you'll see below.
From the plate, the Dodgers deep lineup had moments throughout the series, with five players picking up at least five hits, but they managed to score just 13 runs in the six games. Gonzalez was the top producer with two home runs and three RBIs.
The Cardinals offense had just as much trouble through five games, but a 9-run blowout to finish off the series made those numbers look a bit better. Beltran and Carpenter were in the middle of it all. Each player had six hits, while Beltran had six RBIs and Carpenter had two RBIs and four runs scored.
On the mound was where the magic happened for the Cardinals. Joe Kelly allowed six runs in two starts, while every other pitcher allowed a combined seven runs.
Rookie Michael Wacha led the way for the Cardinals, outdueling Kershaw in Game 2 and putting up a repeat performance in Game 6. He pitched 13 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 13 hitters en route to NLCS MVP.
Key moments
There are almost too many to count, but let's start with Game 1. After matching zeroes for five consecutive innings, the Dodgers were threatening in the 10th. With runners on first and third and just one out, Trevor Rosenthal induced a fly ball to center. Beltran called off center fielder Jon Jay and uncorked a missile to keep the score tied.
After keeping the game tied, Beltran came up to the plate three innings later looking to end it.
Michael Wacha was key throughout Game 2, besting a Cy Young winner as a rookie.
Six days later, Wacha was on the mound again, but not before a legendary standoff between Joe Kelly and Scott Van Slyke. This part isn't really a key moment, but is one of the many odd things that makes Kelly one of the funniest players in recent baseball history.
This time, Wacha had much more room for error, not that he needed it. The bats busted the game wide open by the fifth inning, as the Cardinals rolled their way back to the World Series.
What happened next
The Cardinals came up short against the Red Sox again in their most recent trip to the World Series. But it wouldn't be the last of the playoff matchup for this Cardinals core.
2014 NLDS: Cardinals defeat Dodgers in four games
The Cardinals had a bit of turnover from 2013 to 2014. Matt Adams, Randal Grichuk and Kolten Wong took major roles in the postseason. John Lackey and Shelby Miller took key roles in the playoff rotation while Michael Wacha worked his way back from a shoulder injury.
The Dodgers lineup and rotation were nearly the same, so how would a rematch go one year later? About the same.
Key contributors
Lackey was clinical in Game 3, picking up the lone win for a starter in the series. He pitched seven innings of one-run baseball in his lone start in the series. Marco Gonzales picked up the Cardinals' other two wins in the series, pitching out of the bullpen.
At the plate, big plays tipped the scales in the Cardinals' favor, with lefties Matt Carpenter and Matt Adams coming up with the biggest hits of the series.
The Dodgers only managed six runs in the final three games, but a nine-run showing in a losing effort in Game 1 padded the stats a bit. Adrian Gonzalez was the top run producer again, with three RBIs. Catcher A.J. Ellis was the surprise team-leader with seven hits in just 13 at-bats. He also drew four walks, ending the series with an on-base percentage of .647.
This series hinged on the performance of Clayton Kershaw, however. Manager Don Mattingly was hoping to ride him deep into Games 1 and 4 due to a shallow bullpen, but he ran out of gas, leading to the biggest moments of the series.
Key moments
The Dodgers looked like they were going to cruise to a Game 1 lead. With their ace on the mound and a four-run lead heading into the seventh inning, the Cardinals blitzed Kershaw. When the dust settled, the Cardinals had plated eight runs off Kershaw and his replacement, Pedro Baez.
Kershaw and the Dodgers were hoping to send the series to a winner-take-all Game 5, and it looked like it would happen. But in the seventh inning, the Cardinals struck again, with one swing of the bat from Matt Adams. With the Cardinals trailing 2-0, Adams sent Kershaw's 102nd pitch into the bullpen giving the Cardinals the lead for good.
What happened next
The Cardinals would lose to the eventual World Series Champion San Fransisco Giants in five games. Michael Wacha's lone playoff appearance that season was out of the bullpen, allowing a walk-off home run to Travis Ishikawa.
What comes now
So that's it for the history between these two teams. All told, it's a little bit of bad and a whole lot of good. What does that mean for this year? Probably nothing.
Hopefully, you got some goosebumps watching some of the best Cardinals moments of the last 40 years.
Now, is it Wednesday yet?