SK pitcher big as Dodgers avoid 0-3 hole

LOS ANGELES—Ryu Hyun-jin outpitched Adam Wainwright with just three hits over seven innings as Los Angeles got back into the National League championship series with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI double ended a 1-for-17 drought for the Dodgers with runners in scoring position and Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez also had run-scoring hits for the Dodgers, who trail the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Game 4 is Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, followed by Game 5 on Wednesday.

Retired Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, whose 1988 team won the club’s last World Series title, waved his white rally towel in the eighth to raucous applause.

Los Angeles got Ramirez and center fielder Andre Ethier back in the lineup after both proved in batting practice they were healthy enough to play. Ramirez wore a lightweight flak jacket to protect his broken left rib—having been hit by a pitch from Joe Kelly in Game 1—while Ethier has been bothered by shin splints.

Ramirez singled his first time up off Wainwright and helped the Dodgers extend their lead to 3-0 in the eighth.

Ryu, who struggled in his first career postseason start in the division series against Atlanta, retired 12 of his first 13 batters, yielding only a walk.

Ryu was much improved after lasting just three innings as the first South Korean pitcher to start a playoff game last week against Atlanta. He allowed four runs on six hits for a no-decision in a game the Dodgers won.  AP

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