At the risk of sounding old timey, this game what aces were made for. A 3 game losing streak throwing out your 3 worst pitchers, it’s your aces turn to get your team back on track. This would normally feel like a sure win, if it were anytime except now, this season, against this opponent, at this particular point in the season.
You see, the Dodgers are just 9-14 in their last 23 games, most of the losing coming against the two teams they’ve very likely to see in the postseason. Mix in the fact that Clayton Kershaw has started the season off slowly, then throw in the fact that the Cardinals’ total devil magic that has created a mental block in the minds of most Dodger fans, and this series is set up for disaster (and it has been one up to this point).