DOWNTOWN — The Los Angeles Dodgers have found the best way to neutralize the best bat in the game is to yield to the inevitable — put him on base. The St. Louis Cardinals have decided they know how to take a different tack with the most prolific postseason hitter of his era.

They think they can keep him off base.

“No chance,” said Adam Wainwright when asked about how he and his team have approached Manny…

PASADENA — When the National League Cy Young Award ballots — which were due yesterday — are tabulated, St. Louis Cardinals budding ace Adam Wainwright may win his first, cementing his arrival as one of the game’s elite starting starting pitchers.

LA’s Clayton Kershaw won’t be far behind.

If this National League Division Series is a stage for young players to burst onto the October scene — Matt Kemp? Skip Schumaker? anyone? — no two figure to…

LOS ANGELES — It didn’t take long and it happened sooner than planned, but in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series the Los Angeles Dodgers got to flex their biggest strength: Their bullpen.

The Dodgers relievers, who combined for the best ERA in the National League during the regular season, pitched 5 1/3 innings in LA’s 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. After the Cardinals raked starter Randy Wolf…

TOWER GROVE — There are many examples of a player storming toward his leagues Most Valuable Player award with a strong September that, in most cases, elevates his team to a postseason berth.

See: Ryan Howard.

Enter Tim Lincecum.

The San Francisco Giants righthander Lincecum struck out 11 and muscled his team to a pivotal victory Monday night against the Wild Card-leading Colorado Rockies. Lincecum skipped his previous start because of back trouble and returned to throw the…

TOWER GROVE — A fascinating vote is underway today at MLB.com and around its 30 official sites, as the numerologists there have some fun with today’s date — Sept. 9, 2009 — and the statistically rich number of spots in a batting order. Mentioned this in today’s 10@10, but it’s too cool of a project not to take a look at deeper.

Especially, when you consider some of the seasons up for a vote.

Inspired by the…

TOWER GROVE — The latest of the managers to experiment with the Tony La Russa-advocated lineup that has the pitcher batting eighth is none other than Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Joe Torre. During his visit to Busch Stadium in the past home stand, Torre even chided La Russa, saying that just as other managers are seeing the light of the Crazy 8 lineup, La Russa has abandoned it.

“Now that you’ve finally convinced me to hit…

TOWER GROVE — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, whose easy manner and prominence has made him an unfortunate veteran of these steroid revelation press scrums, said Thursday that it is important to him that he continue trusting players, trusting his players, trusting what he’s seen, and trusting the game. He added that it’s important the game “get the trust back” of its fanbase.

How baseball does that with the slow-drip feed of steroid news is…

DOWNTOWN — If the St. Louis Cardinals flipped the first face cards of trade-deadline hold ‘em with the acquisitions last week of Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday, the Philadelphia Phillies responded by upping the ante Wednesday with a trade for lefty Cliff Lee.

Your deal, Dodgers.

Sitting in the visitors’ dugout Wednesday afternoon some 53 hours before the end of that night’s game — or thereabouts, roughly estimated — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre said it’s…

DOWNTOWN — When he was in pinstripes and even in the year since he left the Bronx, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre has often argued that Alex Rodriguez is the best all-around player in the game, the best hitter in the game, the best in the game. Torre said he’s added a new name to the short list.

And the description he came up for this new name, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols…

DOWNTOWN — Whenever Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre has had a reason to return to St. Louis — which was oh so rarely when he skippered the New York Yankees — he makes a point to visit Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals great and St. Louis icon. He also keeps every message he gets from Musial.

Every one.

Torre, meeting with the media Monday during the All-Star workout day interviews in downtown St. Louis, said…