that far off from being right back to where he was."

(SportsNetwork.com) - If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to advance to their second World Series in three seasons they are going to have to earn it. Tonight, the Cardinals will try to finish off the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium. That may be easier said than done, though, as the Cardinals will be going up against perhaps the best pitcher in baseball in left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is likely headed toward another NL Cy Young Award after a remarkable regular season that saw him go 16-9 and lead the major leagues with a minuscule 1.83 ERA and an NL-best 232 strikeouts. The Cardinals, though, have given him fits, as he lost twice to them in the regular season and, despite a terrific effort, was defeated by them on Saturday in Game 2 of this series. Kershaw gave up an unearned run and two hits over six innings of that one to fall to 1-1 with a 0.47 ERA in three starts this postseason. "All we have to do is score for him," said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. St. Louis, meanwhile, will be trying to secure an amazing 19th NL pennant behind rookie Michael Wacha, who has been spectacular this postseason, winning both of his starts, while pitching to a 0.64 ERA. Wacha was able to outduel Kershaw in Game 2 by scattering five hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Counting his last start of the regular season, when he came within an out of a no-hitter, he is 3-0 with an 0.42 ERA. "I just expect Michael to go out and do what hes done, just like the rest of our guys," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Stick with what youve done all along the way, and dont ignore and dont deny the excitement." Los Angeles staved off elimination on Wednesday, as Gonzalez hit two of the Dodgers four home runs in a 6-4 win at Dodger Stadium. Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis also delivered solo blasts for the NL West champs, who hadnt homered at all in dropping three of the first four matchups to St. Louis. "I think if you look at it now, weve kind of become Americas team because everyone wants to see a seventh game," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Probably even fans in St. Louis want to see a seventh game, so I figure that everyones for us to win on Friday night." Zack Greinke (1-0) worked out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the first, then limited the Cardinals to two runs on six hits over seven innings. He also helped his cause with an RBI single. "When Zack got out of that inning with no runs, it was just a huge momentum swing in the game," Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis said. "Sometimes a game is won or lost in that first inning. I think that first inning had a huge impact on todays game." Matt Holliday went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Matt Adams and Matt Carpenter each collected two hits in the loss for the Cardinals, who, of course, have lost an NLCS both times they have held a 3-1 lead, including last year to the San Francisco Giants. Unlike last year though, the Cards will play the final two games in St. Louis, where they are 25-6 since Aug. 11. "Were not going to San Francisco, were going home, so I think thats a big plus," Cards third baseman David Freese said. If necessary, Game 7 will be played on Saturday at Busch Stadium. Alex Smith Redskins Jersey . After all, the No. 8 seed is chasing far loftier goals. Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., defeated American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in Wimbledons second round on Thursday. Alex Smith Youth Jersey .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week. https://www.redskinssportsgoods.com/Womens-Darrell-Green-Inverted-Jersey/ . The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later. Dexter Manley Youth Jersey .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Art Monk Youth Jersey . -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St.BETHESDA, Md. -- Tiger Woods never felt so good after playing so badly. Taking two shots to escape a plugged lie in a bunker put him a hole. Four straight bogeys on the back nine Friday in the Quicken Loans National buried his chances of making it to the weekend. Over two rounds at Congressional, he missed 16 greens and managed to save par only three times. Woods was back -- just not for very long. Playing for the first time in more than three months because of back surgery, he had a 4-over 75 on Friday and missed the cut by four shots. It was only the 10th time in his PGA Tour career that Woods missed a 36-hole cut, and the first time he didnt sound overly distressed. "I hate to say it, but Im really encouraged by what happened this week," Woods said. "I missed the cut by four shots -- thats a lot. But the fact that what I was able to do physically, and the speed I had and the distance that I was hitting the golf ball again, I had not done that in a very long time. Felt great today. Then, as I said, I made so many little mistakes ... all the little things that I know I can fix. But as I said, thats very encouraging." And it wasnt all that surprising. Woods had played only four tournaments this year while coping with an increasingly sore back, which led him to have surgery March 31 and miss the first two majors. He had hoped to return for the British Open next month. Instead, he felt strong enough to play the Quicken Loans National, primarily because it benefits his foundation and Woods figured he needed to get in a little competition before going to Royal Liverpool. Even it if was only two rounds. "I came back four weeks earlier than we thought I could," Woods said. "I had no setbacks. I got my feel for playing tournament golf. I made a ton of simple, little mistakes -- misjudging things and missing the ball on the wrong sides and just didnt get up-and-down on little, simple shots. Those are the little things I can correct." Marc Leishman of Australia turned potential bogey into unlikely birdie when he holed out from 127 yards on the par-5 ninth hole on his way to a 5-under 66 and a four-way share of the lead going into the weekend. Oliver Goss, another Aussie who is making his second pro start, had a bogey-free 66 and joined Leishman at 6-under 136 along with Ricky Barnes (69) and Patrick Reed (68), who already has won twice this year. Woods was 13 shots behind at 7-over 149. It wasnt the largest 36-hole gap from the leaders in the previous nine timees he missed the cut on the PGA Tour.dddddddddddd It just looked that way. Woods took two shots to get out of a plugged lie in a bunker on the fifth hole and made double bogey. He three-putted for par on the next hole and never looked more sloppy than on the short par-4 eighth. He was in perfect position after hitting a big drive, 61 yards from the hole at the right angle. His pitch was too strong and left of the flag, leaving him a downhill chip from the collar. He hit that 7 feet by and missed the par putt. Even so, the damage came after consecutive bogeys around the turn. His tee shot went into a hazard on No. 11, forcing him to punch out. He hit a wild hook off the tee on the 12th, and his second shot was headed for a bunker until it was suspended in the grass on the lip of the sand. He hit a poor chip from below the green on the 13th. And from the 14th fairway, he missed the green and hit another poor chip. Four bogeys, no time to recover. "If it were anybody else, I would say that I would expect kind of a struggle. But you just never know with Tiger," Jordan Spieth said after his own brilliant display of a short game that allowed him to make the cut. "He just got a couple rounds under his belt. So hes going to be a severe threat at the British -- probably a favourite -- and after playing these couple rounds, I think hell take something from it. "Hes not that far off from being right back to where he was." Woods took encouragement from not feeling any pain in his back, and from swinging as hard as he wanted with his driver. Thats what concerned him about playing this week. Turns out it was the two shortest clubs in his bag -- the wedge and putter -- that did him in. It was surprising to see Woods go straight from the range to the tee in both rounds. Most players give themselves a few extra minutes in the chipping area. "The short game was off," Woods said. "Ive been practicing on Bermuda grass, and I grew the grass up at my house and it was Bermuda. But come out here and play rye, its totally different. And it showed. I was off. I probably shout have spent more time chipping over on the chipping green than I did. But thats the way it goes." His last act as tournament host is to present the trophy, and that could be anyone. Ten players were separated by only two shots going into the weekend, and there was only a nine-shot differential from first to last place. Former U.S. Open champion Justin Rose had 65 to get within three shots of the lead. ' ' '