Hyun-Jin Ryu gets big win, and save, in Dodgers' 3-0 NLCS Game 3 victory

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Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez celebrates after hitting a run-scoring double during the fourth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu celebrates after recording his final strikeout during the seventh inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez celebrates immediately after hitting a run-scoring double in the fourth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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St. Louis second baseman Matt Carpenter, left, and center fielder Jon Jay can’t make the catch on a bloop single hit by Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. Carl Crawford scored on the hit. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez hits a single during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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St. Louis center fielder Jon Jay comes up short on a single by Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford manages to score before St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina can put the tag on him during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford, right, slides under the tag of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to score during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig comes up short diving for a hit by St. Louis third baseman David Freese during Game 3 of the NLCS. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright delivers a pitch during the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig celebrates after hitting a run-scoring triple during the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLCS. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig celebrates his run-scoring triple in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLCS. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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St. Louis center fielder Jon Jay can’t make the catch on a triple by Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis during Game 3 of the NLCS. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans try to catch balls during batting practice prior to the start of Game 3 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

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Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly, left, shakes hands with St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny before the start of Game 3 of the NLCS. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

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St. Louis Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright delivers a pitch during the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. (Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

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Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu delivers a pitch during the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (David J. Phillip / Getty Images)

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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig looks back after striking out to end the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu delivers a pitch during the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers reliever Brian Wilson pitches in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen pitches in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLCS. Jansen picked up his second save of the postseason. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig celebrates his run-scoring triple in the fourth inning during Game 3 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers outfielders Andre Ethier, left, Yasiel Puig, center, and Carl Crawford celebrate the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLCS. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

By Dylan Hernandez

Oct. 14, 2013 11:25 PM PT

Only four starting pitchers in Dodgers history have thrown seven or more scoreless innings in a postseason game and allowed three or fewer hits: Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Orel Hershiser and, most recently, Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Ryu recovered from the worst start of his rookie season with one of the best performances of his 26-year-old life, pitching the Dodgers back into the National League Championship Series by leading them to a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

The Dodgers’ Game 3 win, played in front of 53,049 towel-waving fans at Dodger Stadium, closed their deficit in the series to two games to one.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 3, Cardinals 0

After receiving an emotional lift from watching Hanley Ramirez and Andre Ethier return to the lineup in obvious pain, the South Korean left-hander limited the Cardinals to three hits and a walk over seven innings.

“It’s definitely a big motivation when you see your star players go out there hurt and putting it on the line for the team,” Ryu said through an interpreter.

By beating Adam Wainwright, Ryu added the Cardinals ace to a star-studded list of pitchers whose teams lost when they started in this series. The others: Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.

Conventional wisdom was that the Dodgers would win Games 1 and 2, and the Cardinals Game 3. The exact opposite happened.

“The great thing about this game of baseball is that you can talk about, ‘This is what should happen,’ but it never does play out that way,” the Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez said.

Entering the game, there were serious concerns about Ryu, who lasted only three innings in his division-series start against the Atlanta Braves. But he learned something from that.

“It taught me a big lesson that in big games, the first couple of innings are that crucial and important,” he said.

Ryu’s preference had always been to gradually work his way into a rhythm. That was probably why he gave up first-inning runs in 19 of 31 previous starts. But before this game, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt challenged him to throw at full intensity from the beginning. Ryu was told that if he could pitch only four innings, so be it.

Ryu, who usually throws his fastball in the high 80s to low 90s, was clocked in the first inning at 95 mph.

“He was ready to go,” catcher A.J. Ellis said.

And he was ready to last.

With two outs and a man on first base in the seventh inning, Ryu received a visit from Manager Don Mattingly and interpreter Martin Kim. The next batter, Matt Adams, represented the tying run.

Ellis recalled the scene on the mound, saying Mattingly asked Ryu, “Do you have enough for this guy? Can you get this guy?”

Ryu was adamant he could, according to Ellis.

Ryu struck out Adams to end the inning.

“When he walked away and gave me the green light to go after the last batter, whenever you feel that kind of trust from your manager, it motivates you to commit and get that out,” Ryu said.

The following inning, the Dodgers increased their lead to 3-0, as Carl Crawford scored from second base on a bloop single to shallow right-center field by Ramirez. Second baseman Kolten Wong, who retrieved the ball, made the mistake of throwing the ball to shortstop Daniel Descalso instead of catcher Yadier Molina. Crawford beat Descalso’s relay to the plate.

“I’m just looking at the third base coach,” Crawford said of Tim Wallach. “He just kept waving me. I gave him a look as I was running like, ‘Are you sure?’”

The Dodgers, who lost 1-0 in Game 2, ended a 22-inning runless drought when they scored twice in the fourth inning. Gonzalez doubled down the right-field line to drive in Mark Ellis from third base.

Gonzalez mimicked an explosion with his hands, drawing the ire of Wainwright.

“I saw Adrian doing some Mickey Mouse stuff at second,” Wainwright said.

Gonzalez’s response: “We are in L.A., so Mickey Mouse stuff does go. You know, Mickey Mouse is only an hour away. It fits us.”

Gonzalez scored two batters later on a triple by Yasiel Puig to right field. Puig had been 0 for 11 in the series with seven strikeouts.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez