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Los Angeles Dodgers Fall To Cardinals 3-2, Lose NLDS 3-1

The Los Angeles Dodgers lose to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in Game 4 of the NLDS, Dodgers lose the series 3-1.

Final Score:

Dodgers: 2

St. Louis Cardinals: 3

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Preview from Dodgers.com:

ST. LOUIS — Dodgers manager Don Mattingly shook up his lineup for Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday, benching Yasiel Puig and replacing him in center field with Andre Ethier.

Mattingly said Puig was healthy and the switch was made “because it gives us the best chance to win today. It’s not about anything bad with Yasiel.”

Puig said he felt fine and had no advance notice he wouldn’t start, learning of it when he saw the lineup after arriving at Busch Stadium. But he said he respected Mattingly’s decision.

“I don’t need him to tell me about it, either,” Puig said. “They made the decision. Now it’s my responsibility to support my teammates from the dugout.”

Puig tripled Monday night and scored the club’s only run in its 3-1 loss. But he also struck out three times in Game 3, four times in Game 2 and once in Game 1. In 12 at-bats, he has eight strikeouts, three hits, scored four runs with a walk and played his typically aggressive outfield. Ethier is 1-for-2 with a double in the series.

“Maybe I’m putting pressure on myself,” Puig said, but he insisted being hit by a pitch in the first inning of Game 1 had “nothing to do with striking out.”

“I’m facing good pitchers,” he said. “I haven’t been able to connect with good pitches they throw.”

Ethier hit .254 on the road and .320 in day games this year. Puig hit .305 on the road and .340 in day games.

On the Sunday off-day, Mattingly said he was concerned that the Cardinals had stirred the emotional Puig in a pair of on-field dustups with catcher Yadier Molina. Mattingly said he and the coaches had talked to Puig about simplifying the game, ignoring distractions “and just play baseball.”

Ethier has been the odd-man out of the Dodgers’ crowded outfield. He opened the season as the starting center fielder and played regularly while first Matt Kemp, then Carl Crawford, battled injuries. Once everyone was healthy after the All-Star break, Mattingly made Puig the starting center fielder, moved Kemp to right, put Crawford in left and sent Ethier to the bench.

On Tuesday, Mattingly elevated Crawford to Puig’s second spot in the batting order with Ethier batting sixth. Crawford is 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk against Miller. Adrian Gonzalez is 4-for-7 with a homer and four RBIs and Kemp is 2-for-3 with an RBI double.

Mattingly said Puig was available for “whatever the game calls for.”

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Los Angeles Dodgers Fall To Cardinals 3-2, Lose NLDS 3-1

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