September's fade officially turned to October black Saturday night at Busch Stadium.

Once armed with their league's best record, the Cardinals fell in eerie quiet, 5-1, as the Los Angeles Dodgers concluded a three-game sweep of a Division Series that offered the NL Central champs some early suspense but ultimately little but profound disappointment.

Three extra-base hits by right fielder Andre Ethier, a revival by meandering left fielder Manny Ramirez and a continuation of the Dodgers' pitching dominance sent the Cardinals home with only their second Division Series loss in eight tries under manager Tony La Russa.

"I don't like the stigma attached to being swept — but that's what happened," La Russa said upon exiting his office more than an hour after the loss. "The series was more competitive than that. But that's what it is."

The Dodgers, who finished with the league's top record but lost five of seven to the Cardinals during the season, emerged after handing Chris Carpenter his roughest start of the season in Game 1 and then exploiting left fielder Matt Holliday's ninth-inning error in Game 2. Saturday's win was more thorough, as they jumped Cardinals starter Joel Piņeiro for four early runs and never offered an opening to a struggling offense.

"They came out on fire, and we didn't," Piņeiro said.

The Cardinals scored six runs in a series in which they produced only seven two-out hits. The Dodgers scored nine of 13 runs with two outs, including Saturday's five. The Cardinals managed one two-out tally the entire series.

The sweep concluded a stretch in which the Cardinals lost 11 of their last 13 while futilely searching for an offensive spark. Dodgers manager Joe Torre successfully gambled that walking first baseman Albert Pujols at every turn would allow his team to avoid big innings. The Cardinals scored one run in six of 27 innings.

The Dodgers won starts by Cy Young Award co-favorites Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. They played better defense. They issued only five unintentional walks.

"We beat a very good team," Torre said. "And we won the two games that Carp and Wainwright pitched, which certainly did a lot for our personality and our confidence."

The Cardinals played with less verve and committed more mistakes. Defensive missteps and a hit batter contributed to three runs in a 5-3 loss in Game 1. Holliday's losing battle with the Dodger Stadium lights became the pivot point for a 3-2 Game 2 loss. The Cardinals ended the series only four for 30 (.133) with runners in scoring position.

"Sometimes that happens. It's hard to explain. It's baseball," Holliday said. "You wish it was something you could put your finger on. We didn't get enough hits with runners on base. That's part of the game."

The Cardinals scored three runs or fewer in 15 of their last 28 regular-season games, including seven times during a nine-game home stand in mid-September.

"You were hoping to see something different," general manager John Mozeliak said. "But as the series went on, you saw the same approaches and the same result."

The Dodgers neutralized the largest crowd (47,296) ever to attend a game at new Busch Stadium when Ramirez roped a two-out RBI double in the first inning. Ethier followed in the third inning with a two-run homer. The Cardinals never brought the tying run to the plate after the second inning.

"Their bullpen was outstanding," catcher Yadier Molina said. "They have some guys who throw very hard right on the corners. They pitched good."

"They just beat us to the punch all night. Give them credit," La Russa said.

A sinkerballer who reported for his first postseason start Saturday without sink, Piņeiro couldn't keep the ball on the ground and got his eviction notice after allowing four runs in four innings.

"He had quite a few pitches he got up. That's a tough way for him to pitch," La Russa said.

Ethier helped wreck the game by coming within a single of the cycle. He tripled and scored off John Smoltz to make it a 5-0 game in the seventh inning before doubling in the ninth.

Praised all summer by their manager for their resilience, the Cardinals fell flat.

Lauded for their strong foundation in fundamentals, the Cardinals became crippled by strange defense and baserunning.

La Russa explained the team's late-season fade as a natural byproduct of an early clinch. But his Sept. 29 reminder in Cincinnati that no team can "flip the switch" at a whim proved more prophetic.

Including his 10 at-bats in the series, Pujols exits the season having gone without a home run for a career-most 89 at-bats.

Game 1 saw the Cardinals score just three of 17 baserunners while squeezing two runs from a pair of bases-loaded situations. Two unmade defensive plays and a bases-loaded hit batter contributed to three of the Dodgers' five runs. The Cardinals lost Game 2 while going 0 for nine with runners in scoring position.

"It all gets back to this group. Obviously, a couple breaks didn't go our way," said right fielder Ryan Ludwick. "You've got to give that team credit over there. You've got to give their manager credit. Torre's a good manager. They have a good staff. They have good players. Things didn't happen our way. It's a tough way to end a season."