Los Angeles, CA (My Sportsbook) - Matt Kemp belted a two-run homer and the Dodgers received a yeoman effort from the bullpen, as Los Angeles posted a 5-3 win over St. Louis in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Chavez Ravine.

Rafael Furcal collected three hits, including a triple, and knocked in a run for the Dodgers, who captured their second straight NL West crown. Casey Blake finished 2-for-4 with a run batted in.

Randy Wolf, making his first career postseason appearance, gave up two runs on six hits and walked five in 3 2/3 innings. Jeff Weaver (1-0) recorded the final out in the fourth and worked around a two-out double by Colby Rasmus in the fifth to get the win.

Ronald Belisario hurled a spotless inning for Los Angeles and Hong-Chih Kuo struck out pinch-hitter Troy Glaus to strand a pair of runners in the seventh. George Sherrill, a mid-season acquisition, retired two of the three batters he faced in the eighth before he was replaced by closer Jonathan Broxton, who earned a four-out save.

Mark DeRosa went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the NL Central champion Cardinals, who have dropped nine of their last 11 games dating back to the regular season.

Chris Carpenter (0-1), the NL Comeback Player of the Year, looked like anything but a Cy Young contender for St. Louis, surrendering four runs on nine hits and walking four in five innings of work.

The clubs established a postseason record by stranding a combined 30 men on base -- 16 for Los Angeles -- in a nine-inning game.

Game 2 of the this best-of-five series is scheduled for Thursday at 9:37 p.m. (et) in Los Angeles. Clayton Kershaw will toe the rubber for the Dodgers, while St. Louis counters with Adam Wainwright.