The Los Angeles Dodgers' Mark Loretta jumps into the arms of Matt Kemp as Russell Martin joins them after Loretta's hit Thursday gave the Dodgers a 3-2 win and a 2-0 NL series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.

LOS ANGELES — Matt Holliday dropped a sinking line drive for an error with two outs in the ninth inning, leading to a two-run rally by the Los Angeles Dodgers that gave them a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday.

Ronnie Belliard and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta came through with RBI singles off All-Star closer Ryan Franklin, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five NL playoff series. They can close it out with a sweep in Game 3 Saturday in St. Louis.

The Cardinals got a second-inning homer from Holliday and a stellar performance by starter Adam Wainwright, who left with a 2-1 lead after eight. Still, St. Louis went home empty-handed after opening the series with two Cy Young Award contenders on the mound: Chris Carpenter and Wainwright.

Loretta, batting for winning pitcher George Sherrill, was 0 for 15 in his career against Franklin before fisting a soft single to center that drove in Casey Blake.

Andre Ethier homered for the Dodgers.

Rockies 5, Phillies 4Cole Hamels isn't going to breeze through this postseason.Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run homer, Aaron Cook pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Colorado Rockies beat Hamels and the host Philadelphia Phillies to even their NL playoff series at a game apiece.Huston Street pitched out of trouble in the ninth to save it for Colorado. He retired Shane Victorino on a soft liner to second to leave the potential tying run — Game 1 winner Cliff Lee — at second base.Hamels, the World Series and NLCS MVP last year, looked nothing like the guy who was so dominant during Philadelphia's championship run last October. The left-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.The best-of-five series shifts to Denver for Game 3 on Saturday.

Angels 5, Red Sox 0At Anaheim, Calif., John Lackey pitched into the eighth inning and Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer off the rock pile in center field, leading Los Angeles over Boston in their AL playoff opener.Hunter's shot broke open a scoreless game in the fifth inning and gave the Angels a boost against their longtime playoff nemesis. The Red Sox ended three of the Angels' past five seasons in the division series, winning nine of 10 games.Boston didn't manage an extra-base hit while getting shut out in the playoffs for the first time since Game 2 of the 1995 division series against Cleveland.Game 2 is tonight at Angel Stadium, with Boston's Josh Beckett facing Jered Weaver.