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ST. LOUIS -- For four straight starts, Michael Wacha has been all but untouchable and appeared totally oblivious to the stakes. The St. Louis Cardinals need one more just like that from the pressure-proof rookie to get to the World Series for the second time in three years. Wacha outpitched NL Cy Young front-runner Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 and the Cardinals won 1-0 on an unearned run to take a 2-0 series lead. Theyre matched again in Game 6 Friday night, the precocious right-hander and the lefty whod be at the top of anyones list to work a must-win. This time, the Cardinals lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2. "I just expect Michael to go out and do what hes done, just like the rest of our guys," manager Mike Matheny said. "Stick with what youve done all along the way, and dont ignore and dont deny the excitement." The Dodgers brought the series back to St. Louis by muscling up on offence, with Adrian Gonzalez hitting two of their four homers in a 6-4 Game 5 victory Wednesday. Runs figure to be hard to come by in Game 6, although pitchers wont have shadows as an ally with a 7:37 p.m. CDT start. Game 2 had a late afternoon start with shadows creeping across Busch Stadium especially in the early innings and lights providing no real help, plus there was fatigue from the Cardinals 13-inning win to open the series. "I think youll see both clubs get better at-bats just from the standpoint of vision," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Mattingly was hopeful both Hanley Ramirez (ribs) and Andre Ethier (ankle) would benefit from a travel day Thursday and be in the lineup. "Andre, I expect to play. He just seems to get a little stronger," Mattingly said. As for Ramirez, who was hit by a pitch in Game 1, "We dont feel like hes getting any worse. Its just a matter of how the game goes for him." The Cardinals didnt work out either, taking a bit of a mental break. "Weve had a lot of these lately," Matheny said. "Going back and forth I can feel a little jet lag. The guys arent going to forget how to hit, forget how to throw." Kershaw is the major league ERA leader three years running and worked the Dodgers division clincher against Atlanta on three days rest. He gave up just two hits in six innings of Game 1 and was ready to go long before the Dodgers bats came alive. "I dont really think about the what-ifs," Kershaw said. "I always assumed I was going to pitch Game 6." Kershaw has a career 1-2 post-season record despite an impressive 2.88 post-season ERA. "All we have to do," Gonzalez said, "is score for him." Wacha is 2-0 with a microscopic 0.64 ERA in the post-season, allowing just six hits in 14 innings with 17 strikeouts. Counting his last start of the regular season, when he was one out shy of a no-hitter, make it 3-0 with an 0.42 ERA. Slim leads have been of no concern, with the Cardinals totalling five runs in those games. "Just this whole post-season ride has been amazing," Wacha said. "Hopefully we can just keep it going." He knows how tough the opposing pitcher is, but says that cant be factor. "Kershaws a tough pitcher, obviously, and you saw that in his last start," Wacha said. "But I try not to worry too much about who Im facing. "Just try to approach it like any other start and just worry about myself, really." Both are hard throwers from Texas who got to the majors fast. Kershaw was 20 when he made his debut in 2008 and Wacha was 21 and hadnt been in the system a year when he opened with seven strong innings against the Royals in May. "He obviously handles himself pretty well," Kershaw said. "I dont think nerves is going to be the issue for him." The Dodgers are trying to become the 12th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. The Cardinals squandered a 3-1 series last fall against the Giants. Game 7 would be Saturday night, and another rematch. The Dodgers Hyun-Jim Ryu worked seven innings of three-hit ball in Game 3 to outpitch Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, who got no help from a shaky defence. Mike Cammalleri Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. Kyle Palmieri Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. http://www.hockeydevilsshop.us/Damon-Severson-Jersey/ . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. http://www.hockeydevilsshop.us/Adam-Henrique-Jersey/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Martin Havlat Jersey . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon.ATLANTA -- Julio Teheran said he took the mound with one goal: "Show everybody what I can do." Teheran showed he can beat Jose Fernandez, the Marlins young star who ranks third in the majors with his 2.33 ERA. Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Teheran outpitched Fernandez in a matchup of young right-handers, and the Atlanta Braves beat Miami 2-1 Friday night for their fifth straight win. "Ive got an idea these kids are going to match up a lot in the future," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Fernandez, 21, took his first loss since July 7 but allowed only one hit after Freemans homer. Fernandez (10-6) gave up three hits in six innings for the Marlins, who have lost five straight. Teheran, 22, yielded one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings. A key for Teheran (11-7) was overcoming a long third inning, when the Marlins scored their only run. "I just had one bad inning, and I was able to get out of that inning," Teheran said. Fernandez endured a similarly taxing fourth inning before Brian McCann finally struck out in a 14-pitch at-bat and the Braves left the bases loaded. "I was really surprised that both kids that young in those innings, they didnt rattle," Gonzalez said. The long at-bat helped limit Fernandez to only six innings. "McCann, that was a great at-bat," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "Jose did a great job striking him out in that situation. But it cost him a lot of pitches. Thats what good teams do; they find a way to grind guys out. "I thought he gave us everything he had tonight." Each starter had eight strikeouts. Before facing Freeman in the first, Fernandez had allowed only two homers in his last 15 starts since June 1 -- and none in his first five outings this month. Freemans homer off the top of the wall in centre field drove in Elliot Johnson, who doubled to right. The other hit allowed by Fernandez was Freemans double in the fourth. After the double, Fernandez smiled and shook his head as he looked at Freeman standing on second base. "I told Freeman How can I get you out? when he got to second base on that double," Fernandez said. "And then he starts laughing." WWith closer Craig Kimbrel unavailable after pitching in three straight games, Anthony Varvaro got six outs, including a perfect ninth inning, for his first career save.dddddddddddd Fernandez led off the third by sliding in head-first for a triple, the first of his career. He scored on Christian Yelichs single. The slide gave Redmond a scare only a few feet away in Miamis dugout along the third-base line. "You want him to play hard, but at the same time you want him to play smart," Redmond said. "I wouldnt have been disappointed if hed stopped at second. And I definitely wouldnt have been disappointed if hed slid feet-first instead of head-first. I hope we dont ever see that again. But I love the energy. "He brings a spark to our team when we need him. Hes a special kid." Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons made two strong defensive plays in the sixth. He adjusted to field Justin Ruggianos grounder after the ball bounced off third baseman Chris Johnsons glove and then made a strong throw to first for the out. Simmons dove to his right to snare Placido Polancos line drive for the second out. "If anybody in the major leagues other than Simmons is playing shortstop, we probably lose that game," Gonzalez said. Giancarlo Stanton led off the eighth with a single. Ruggiano then hit a fly ball to right field and Stanton was thrown out by Jordan Schafer while trying to advance to second. NOTES: The Braves optioned C Evan Gattis to Triple-A Gwinnett after the game to receive regular playing time the next three days. He can be recalled after Gwinnetts season ends on Monday. ... Gattis didnt start on "El Oso Blanco" night -- a promotion that played off the rookies nickname. He drew a pinch-hit walk in the seventh. ... Fernandez has 173 strikeouts for a Marlins rookie record, passing Scott Olsens 166 in 2006. ... Redmond said RHP Ryan Webb was fine after getting hit in the back by a batted ball during batting practice Thursday. ... OF Justin Upton was held out with a bruised left wrist after he was hit by a pitch from Ubaldo Jimenez on Thursday night. ... Braves LHP Mike Minor will try for his 14th win when he faces Miami RHP Jacob Turner on Saturday night. 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