Dodgers 6, Cardinals 4: Adrian Gonzalez belted two of Los Angeles' four solo homers to back seven strong innings from Zack Greinke as the host Dodgers staved off elimination in the National League Championship Series.

Greinke (1-0) overcome a wobbly beginning to allow two runs on six hits, retiring the final 13 batters he faced as Los Angeles cut the lead to 3-2 and sent the best-of-seven series back to St. Louis for Game 6 on Friday. Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis also went deep and Greinke helped himself with an RBI single for the Dodgers, who amassed their highest run total of the series.

Matt Holliday had an RBI double among his three hits and Carlos Beltran had a run-scoring triple for the Cardinals, who squandered a 3-1 lead to San Francisco in the NLCS last year. Joe Kelly (0-1) lasted five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits for St. Louis, which will send rookie Michael Wacha to the mound against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Game 6.

After Greinke escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the first, Juan Uribe followed singles by Gonzalez (3-for-4) and Yasiel Puig with a bouncer up the middle for a 1-0 edge in the second. Greinke doubled the lead with a single through the left side, but the Cardinals tied it in their next at-bat when Beltran tripled home a run and scored on Holliday's double.

Gonzalez put the Dodgers ahead to stay with a towering two-out blast in the third and followed solo shots by Crawford and Ellis by launching his second in the eighth inning to make it 6-2 as Los Angeles tied a franchise record for most homers in a playoff game. The Cardinals rallied in the ninth with RBI singles by Matt Adams and Pete Kozma before closer Kenley Jansen fanned pinch hitter Adron Chambers to end it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Greinke, a.328 hitter during the regular season, became the first Dodgers pitcher with an RBI in the NLCS since Orel Hershiser had one in Game 7 in 1988 and extended his streak to 15 starts with two runs or fewer allowed. ... Beltran added to his playoff legacy with his 35th RBI and 29th extra-base hit in 44 postseason games. ... Gonzalez's homer was the first for the Dodgers in the NLCS and boosted his career numbers against Kelly to 6-for-9 with two long balls.