“They’re professional guys,” said Kershaw, whose career postseason E.R.A. jumped to 5.20 in 10 appearances. “They string together hits well. It seems like they just kind of feed off of each other. If you can kind of keep them off the bases and limit them to solo home runs, like tonight the first few innings, you’ve got a pretty good chance. But they battle well, they don’t ever give up, and I let them back in the game.”

Wainwright, who won all his starts in September to lead the Cardinals to the National League Central Division crown, had his own surprising failure. He needed 44 pitches to wade through the first two scoreless innings, and then hit Yasiel Puig with a 1-1 fastball leading off the third.

In Game 1 of last year’s N.L.C.S., the Cardinals’ Joe Kelly drilled Hanley Ramirez in the ribs, knocking him out of the next game and limiting his effectiveness. After Puig was hit this time, Adrian Gonzalez, the next hitter, objected when he came to the plate.

That infuriated catcher Yadier Molina, who barked angrily at Gonzalez, pointing at him and pushing the plate umpire, Jerry Meals, in the back as he tried to reach him. The benches and bullpens cleared, and when play resumed, the Dodgers battered Wainwright for six runs, chasing him in the fifth. It was the first start of Wainwright’s career in which he gave up at least 11 hits in fewer than five innings.

Just as unlikely was Kershaw’s blowing a big lead. When he started the seventh, he had not pitched with a runner on base all game, having given up just two solo homers, to Randal Grichuk and Carpenter. But a barrage of four singles greeted him that inning, and after a strikeout, a single and another strikeout — his 10th — Carpenter came to bat.

Kershaw quickly got ahead of Carpenter, 0-2, with fastballs. Carpenter fouled them both and just kept doing it, smacking three more foul — with two balls mixed in — before catcher A. J. Ellis set his target low and away for the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

Instead, Kershaw left a 95-mile-an-hour fastball up and over the middle. Carpenter did not miss it, crushing the mistake to deep right center. Kershaw turned and watched it fly, bending at the waist, his glove and his left hand on his knees. The lead was gone and his day was done.