Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Game 4 Time, TV Info, Live Stream and More

The St. Louis Cardinals enter Game 4 knocking on the door of their fourth straight National League Championship Series, but Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will have his chance to keep that door closed—at least for one game.

The Cards took a commanding edge over the Los Angeles Dodgers with their Game 3 victory that made the series 2-1, and now they'll look to make it two-for-two at home and continue their October dominance over the NL. Kolten Wong's two-run homer paved the way to a Game 3 win, while John Lackey pitched seven strong innings and allowed just one run in his first playoff appearance since clinching the World Series for Boston against his current team.

Some Dodgers fans will rest easy knowing their AL MVP hopeful has the ball for Game 4, but he comes off short rest and a shocking Game 1 performance in which he gave up a 6-2 lead in his final inning on the mound. 

Here's a look at everything you need to know for Game 4.

When: Tuesday, October 7

Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

Start Time: 5:07 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: MLB.TV (subscription required)

Top Dodgers Storyline: Will Bullpen, Bats Hold Up for Kershaw?

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

There might not be a pitching rotation left in the MLB playoffs that breeds as much dominance and marquee names as the Dodgers', but it will take much more than that to get them to the NLCS.

Starting in Game 4, a revival needs to come from both the bullpen and the L.A. lineup if Kershaw is going to win just his second career postseason game.

Kershaw was practically automatic during the season with a whopping 21-3 record in 2014, and that's even more so when the Dodgers' bats produce. But that wasn't the case in Game 1, when nine runs weren't enough for Kershaw to lead them to an opening win.

That sort of production would almost certainly get it done in Game 4 with Kershaw seeking redemption for his early shortcomings this series, but it hasn't been there in recent games.

Yasiel Puig is leading the struggles, striking out eight times already this series, as ESPN Stats and Info observed, and Fox Sports MLB added analysis:

Puig's triple led to the Dodgers' only run of Game 3, which was largely defined by L.A.'s inability to produce with runners in scoring position. It went just 1-for-11 with runners on second and third as a unit. 

What's more, the Dodgers bullpen has been the definition of unreliable in recent outings. It has given up a home run in its last six appearances. 

With Kershaw on the mound in a must-win situation, you can bet that the Dodgers will get his best. But he's on short rest, and they won't be able to lean on him to pitch anywhere near a complete game—meaning the onus will again fall on the pen.

Can they hold up? That question will decide whether the Dodgers stay alive or fall victim to more St. Louis October magic.

Top Cardinals Storyline: Can Cards Pile It on Late Again?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Cardinals batters won't be paying too much attention to Kershaw's less-than-stellar postseason record.

With the Dodgers' season on the line and going up against the most dominant player in baseball, St. Louis knows runs will be at a premium in the opening innings. Even if Kershaw is coming off short rest, the announcement before Game 3 of his starting Game 4 shows it didn't matter much to him or Don Mattingly whether the Dodgers were up 2-1 or down 2-1.

The Cardinals mustered just two runs on Kershaw's first six innings of pitching in Game 1, but when the seventh inning came and he was still on the mound, they pounced. St. Louis jumped on him in the seventh, giving Kershaw eight earned runs and the loss in the process.

Kershaw enters Tuesday's game coming off short rest, which means the Cards could get to him earlier this time. And when he comes out of the game, expect St. Louis to push the envelope even more.

That's because the Dodgers bullpen has been atrocious lately, which was broken down in the Dodgers blurb above. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports summed it up nicely:

In both of the Cardinals' two wins this series, they have battled back from tight games late. In Game 1, they trailed 6-2, while Game 3 was stuck at 1-1 until Wong's two-run shot made the difference.

The Cardinals have shown their clutch gene over their last few postseason runs, with previously unproven ball players emerging on the big stage. Doing so again in Game 4 will likely prove to be the difference, as long as they can hang with Kershaw in the early innings.