Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke throws in the second inning during game five of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Photo: IC

Adrian Gonzalez on Wednesday clubbed two homers and Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis ­added solo shots as Los Angeles beat St. Louis 6-4 to stay alive in the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The 428-foot blast by Gonzalez in the third inning was the first homer of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the Dodgers, who fini­shed with four homers to cut the Cardinals' lead to 3-2.

Both previous times the Cardinals have held a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS they went on to lose, including last year when the San Francisco Giants rallied to beat them 4-3. Atlanta did it to them in 1996.

The playoff now shifts to St. Louis for game six on Friday. The Cardinals need to win one of the next two to reach their second World ­Series in three years.

The Dodgers played like a desperate team in front of a crowd of 53,183 at Dodger Stadium. They busted out of their home run slump with an emphatic long-ball performance. The four homers tied the franchise record for a playoff game.

Starting pitcher Zack Greinke was effective through seven innings for Los Angeles. He appeared to be in for a short outing on Wednesday as he loaded the bases in the first inning.

But the 29-year-old worked through it and eventually got Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to hit into a double play to end the inning, stranding the three base runners.

The Dodgers are trying to become just the second team in NLCS history to rally from a series deficit of two games to nil to win eventually. The Cardinals did it in 1985 against Los Angeles.

St. Louis starter Joe Kelly lasted five innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and two homers.

Gonzalez clubbed a solo home run into the right-field seats to put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the bottom of the third.

He hit another homer in the bottom of the eighth as the final four runs by Los Angeles came off solo home runs.

The Cardinals tried to rally in the top of the ninth, managing to score two runs to cut the Dodgers' lead to two ­before falling short.

Pinch hitter Adron Chambers was caught looking on a third strike to end the game, leaving two St. Louis runners on base.

AFP - Global Times