Schedule and 2013 Results
Regular Season Records: St. Louis 97-65, Los Angeles Dodgers 92-70
Game 1 on Friday, 11 October: Los Angeles Dodgers lose at St. Louis, 3-runs-2 (13 innings)
Game 2 on Saturday, 12 October: Los Angeles Dodgers lose at St. Louis, 1-run-nil
Game 3 on Monday, 14 October: St. Louis loses at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-runs-nil
Game 4 on Tuesday, 15 October: St. Louis wins at Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-runs-2
Game 5 on Wednesday, 16 October: St. Louis loses at Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-runs-4
Game 6 on Friday, 18 October: Los Angeles Dodgers lose at St. Louis, 9-runs-nil

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-runs-nil to achieve a 4-games-2 win of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219. With the series 1219 win, the St. Louis Cardinals improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 17-12 overall and 6-5 in the Semifinals. With the series 1219 loss, the Los Angeles Dodgers see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 6-8 overall and 1-4 in the Semifinals. The win order for the victorious St. Louis Cardinals in series 1219 was WWLWLW: Series 1219 thus becomes the third MLB Semifinals series, the fourth MLB series (all rounds), and the 39th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. During series 1219, the Cardinals in St. Louis allowed only two runs in three games: Those 2/3 runs allowed per home game are the fewest ever in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series, breaking the old best-of-7 MLB Semifinals record of one run allowed per home game set in series 573 by the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 MLB Semifinals, and tied in series 696 by the Atlanta Braves in the 1995 MLB Semifinals and in series 1185 by the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 MLB Semifinals. The 2/3 runs allowed per home game are the fewest in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series since series 550, in which the Athletics in Oakland allowed only 1/2 run per home game in the 1989 MLB Finals. The 9-runs-nil shutout by St. Louis of Los Angeles in series 1219 Game 6 is the most one-sided best-of-7 MLB Semifinals Game 6 shutout ever, erasing the old mark of 5-runs-nil set by the San Diego Padres against the Atlanta Braves in series 771 Game 6, in the 1998 MLB Semifinals. The nine runs plated by St. Louis in series 1219 Game 6 are the most by one team in a best-of-7 National League Championship Series Game 6 since series 1153 Game 6, in which the Cardinals scored a dozen runs in a 12-runs-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011. The nine runs plated by St. Louis in series 1219 Game 6 are the most by one team in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series Game 6 (any round) since series 1154, in which the Cardinals scored ten runs and the Texas Rangers scored nine runs against each other in 2011 MLB Finals Game 6.

After Game 5: The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-runs-4 to reduce the St. Louis lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219 to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 7-5 series record and a 3-9 Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 0-3 series record and a 0-3 Game 6 record, with the losses having occurred in series 336 (to the New York Yankees in the 1977 MLB Finals), series 351 (to the New York Yankees in the 1978 MLB Finals), and series 457 (to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 MLB Semifinals). MLB/NBA/NHL teams having posted a WWLWL @ HHVVV win/site order through the first five games of a best-of-7 playoff series (such as St. Louis in series 1219) have an 8-2 series record, with an active eight-series winning streak and an active five-Game 6 winning streak. Two of the eight winners during this streak were the NBA Los Angeles Lakers, in series 497 (the 1987 NBA Finals) and series 819 (thirteen years later, in the 2000 NBA Finals); thirteen years later again, the St. Louis Cardinals hope to emulate this NBA team in Los Angeles against an MLB team in Los Angeles.

After Game 4: The St. Louis Cardinals visited and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-runs-2 to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 3-4 series record and a 2-5 Game 5 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 0-4 series record and a 1-3 Game 5 record. The 3-4 best-of-7 MLB playoff series record by the St. Louis Cardinals when leading 3-games-1 is the worst such record among NHL, NBA, and MLB teams with at least four 3-games-1 leads in best-of-7 playoff series. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 13-2 series record.

After Game 3: The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted and shut out the St. Louis Cardinals 3-runs-nil to cut the St. Louis lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219 to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 12-4 series record and a 7-9 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 3-4 series record and a 3-4 Game 4 record – when the Dodgers in this situation win Game 4, they have a 3-0 series record; when they lose Game 4, they have a 0-4 series record. The nine total runs through the first three games of series 1219 tie series 76 (the 1949 MLB Finals), 81 (the 1950 MLB Finals), and 261 (the 1972 MLB Finals) for the second-fewest total runs in the first three games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, next only to the eight total runs in the first three games of series 14 (the 1918 MLB Finals) and 71 (the 1948 MLB Finals).

After Game 2: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-run-nil to take a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-nil, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 1-1 series record and a 0-2 Game 3 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-nil, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 2-2 series record and a 3-1 Game 3 record. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, teams such as St. Louis which win Games 1-2 at home by one run each have a series record of 4-0. In best-of-7 format MLB Semifinals series, teams such as St. Louis which lead 2-games-nil have a 20-3 series record: One of the three losses occurred in series 457, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2-games-nil lead over the St. Louis Cardinals but lost the series in six games in the 1985 MLB Semifinals round – so it is that the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals set a favorable precedent for the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers against the 2013 Cardinals.

After Game 1: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-runs-2 in 13 innings to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 7-4 series record and a 2-9 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 4-5 series record and a 5-4 Game 2 record. The 2-9 best-of-7 MLB playoff series Game 2 record by the St. Louis Cardinals upon leading said series 1-game-nil is the worst such record among MLB teams which have won at least one Game 2 in that situation. Series 1219 Game 1 is the longest (by innings) best-of-7 MLB playoff game since series 1086 Game 2, in which the New York Yankees hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-runs-3 (also in 13 innings). Series 1219 Game 1 at thirteen innings is the longest (by innings) Game 1 of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series ever; four previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series first games lasted 12 innings. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, teams such as St. Louis which win Game 1 at home in extra innings have a 6-1 series record: The sole series loss was sustained by the Milwaukee Braves in series 123, to the New York Yankees in the 1958 MLB Finals.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2013 MLB regular season, St. Louis finished five games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. From 1905 through the 2012 MLB Finals round, inclusive, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by five regular-season games, they have posted a 3-5 (.375) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents, with an active four-series losing streak. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1219 is the 14th best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and the 29th for St. Louis. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 6-7 series record, a 1-3 Semifinals-round series record, and a 4-9 Game 1 record, while St. Louis has a 16-12 series record, a 5-5 Semifinals-round record, and an 11-17 Game 1 record. Series 1219 is the second best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals; St. Louis defeated the Dodgers in series 457 in the 1985 MLB Semifinals (National League Championship Series).