It’s all too familiar for Dodgers in 3-0 loss to Cardinals

The names might change but the pain remains.

If you saw the Dodgers and Cardinals match up in the postseason and hadn’t seen them since, you might not have recognized the two teams Friday that met for the first time this season.

Of the nine players the Dodgers started, only two -- Adrian Gonzalez and A.J. Ellis -- were in the playoff opener against St. Louis. The Cardinals started five different players.

The results were very similar, though, the Cardinals downing the Dodgers, 3-0, at Busch Stadium behind a strong outing by former Angel John Lackey in the first meeting between the two teams that began the day with the best records in the National League.

The Dodgers went rather weakly, putting only five players in scoring position and stranding them all. They appeared thoroughly frustrated in the process. Manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the top of the seventh inning and Ellis in the bottom of the inning. It was the first ejection of Ellis’ six-year career.

Lackey (3-3) gave up only five hits and struck out nine in his seven innings.

Right-hander Mike Bolsinger, who retired the final 24 batters in a row in his last start against the Padres, had been masterful in his first four starts. He pitched well enough Friday, just not as sharply as he had been in his previous outings.

Bolsinger, though, got into immediate trouble Friday. The Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs on a Kolten Wong leadoff double, a single and a walk. They scored when Randal Grichuk bounced into a double play.

They added one more run in the third inning on doubles by Jhonny Peralta and Grichuk.

Bolsinger (3-1) went six innings, giving up the two runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out three. The outing pushed his earned-run average to 1.15.

The Dodgers’ best opportunity to score came in the seventh, an inning that proved their undoing. They led off with singles by Gonzalez and Justin Turner. Andre Ethier was called out on a strike by homeplate umpire Mike Winters that appeared clearly low.

Ethier was not happy and let it be known, as did Mattingly. Winters did not take to Mattingly’s objection and tossed him. Alex Guerrero popped up and Ellis struck out, and the runners never advanced. In the bottom of the inning, an apparently upset Ellis said something and Winters ejected him.

The Dodgers have now gone four consecutive road games without scoring a run.