Kemp homer keeps Dodgers alive

Matt Kemp took a Pat Neshek pitch deep into the seats in left field in the bottom of the eighth inning tonight, giving the Dodgers a dramatic 3-2 win over St. Louis and knotting up the NLDS at one game apiece.

Kemp’s heroic shot staved off a Cardinals team that scored twice in the top of the eighth to tie the game on a two-run home run by Matt Carpenter, who has feasted on Los Angeles pitching the past two games.

The Dodgers led 2-0 going into the eighth behind two-hit pitching by Zack Greinke, who held St. Louis scoreless for seven innings, striking out seven.

Don Mattingly, looking for a left-handed pitching against left-handed batter match-up, called on J.P. Howell in the eighth but Oscar Tavares singled down the right field line and Carpenter took his first pitch high over the wall in right.

After blowing a 6-1 lead with Clayton Kershaw on the mound last night, the raucous Los Angeles crowd was stunned until Kemp got the bubbles flowing when he took a 2-1 slider deep into the crowd in left.

Kemp, who has battled injuries the past two seasons, was the NL Player of the Month in September and returned to form in the second half of the season.

The Dodgers built a 2-0 lead in the third inning when A.J. Ellis doubled to right center, Greinke punched a single to right field and Ellis scored on a ground ball to second baseman Kolton Wong. Greinke was originally called out on a tag at second but the play was reviewed and overturned, the replay showing Wong tagged Greinke with his glove while holding the ball in his hand.

Adrian Gonzalez then cashed in Greinke with a single to right and the Dodgers were up 2-0.

After Carpenter’s home run tied the game in the eighth, Howell gave up a single to John Jay and Mattingly called on Brandon League from the bullpen. League got Matt Holliday on a ground ball then induced Jhonny Peralta to hit into a double play, Miguel Rojas to Dee Gordon to Gonzalez.

Rojas was at shortstop as a defensive replacement for Hanley Ramirez and ranged to his left to make the play. Rojas made a brilliant stop on Peralta’s single to the hole but couldn’t make the throw in time.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth, getting Yadier Molina to ground out to Juan Uribe and striking out Wong and Randal Grichuk to end the game.

The Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound for Game Three in St. Louis on Monday. Ryu hasn’t pitched since Sept. 12 with an aggravated shoulder but was cleared by the Dodgers’ medical staff earlier this week.