NLCS Schedule 2013: Complete Guide to Remaining Cardinals-Dodgers Matchups

With a spot in the World Series on the line, the NLCS has surpassed its halfway point as the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of what has been an epic series thus far.

With the Cardinals leading 3-1 in the series, pressure is at an all-time high for both of the legendary clubs as they look to etch 2013 in stone as a season that they made theirs. 

Look no further for information on the final few contests of the National League postseason slate. 

Also, check here to watch all of the MLB playoff action.

Game 5

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is getting the nod in Game 5, and he should come in well-rested after nearly starting in a desperation role for Game 4 Tuesday night.

ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne tweeted Greinke would've gone Tuesday had the Dodgers entered in a 0-3 hole:

The last time Greinke pitched was in Game 1 of this series, an outing that remarkably ended in a Dodgers loss despite his unbelievable pitching performance. He struck out 10 Cardinals batters over eight innings.

Should St. Louis go with the rotation it began the series with, Michael Wacha should get the mound in a Game 5, though nothing has been reported as of yet. In Game 2, Wacha posted 6.2 scoreless innings on five hits for a 1-0 victory.

Bats from both sides were shockingly quiet early on in the series, so it'll be interesting to see if they heat up having seen both of these pitchers once already in the NLCS. 

Game 6 (if necessary)

A crucial Game 6 sets up just about as perfectly as you could imagine for baseball fans. 

In all likelihood, the Cards will throw out Adam Wainwright onto the mound while returning home to play at Busch Stadium for the final two games—if necessary. 

However, Wainwright picked up St. Louis' first loss of the NLCS in Game 3, giving up six hits and two earned runs in a 3-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers should be featuring an ace of their own in Clayton Kershaw—who ESPN predicts as this year's NL Cy Young winner. Kershaw's two hits allowed over six innings in Game 2 was bested by the 22-year-old Wacha. 

Kershaw vs. Wainwright with a World Series bid on the line? This one could be one of the games of the year, should the Dodgers win Game 5. 

Game 7 (if necessary)

Should the NLCS come down to a Game 7, things will really start to get cloudy for the pitching staffs of the respective teams.

Based on my non-concrete predictions, Kershaw and Wainwright would both be on their first rest day. Both Wacha and Greinke would have pitched Tuesday with a Saturday Game 7 looming.

The Cards' Lance Lynn and the Dodgers' Ricky Nolasco would be in line to start, but in a winner-take-all showdown where one bad pitch may be the difference, you'd like to think both clubs would try to sprinkle in their best guys.

They may give a more rested guy the mound early, but expect both teams to use a by-committee approach down the stretch of a potential Game 7.