ST. LOUIS — Avoiding Albert Pujols seems to be working for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are one win away from a first-round playoff sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

That strategy isn't about to change heading into Game 3 tonight.

"To me, Albert is just out there in a class by himself," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said yesterday. "It may cost me tomorrow, you know, a three-run homer instead of a two-run homer.

"But I'm still going to make somebody else beat me."

The Dodgers got a break in Game 2 when St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday dropped a two-out fly ball in the ninth inning, helping them rally for a 3-2 win. Holliday, batting cleanup behind Pujols, homered earlier in the game.

Pujols is the front-runner for a third NL MVP after batting .327 with a major league-leading 47 homers and 135 RBIs along with a major-league high 44 intentional walks.

The Dodgers have held Pujols to a single in six at-bats, and zero at-bats with runners in scoring position. They've intentionally walked him three times.

The Cardinals will go with 15-game winner Joel Pineiro opposing Vicente Padilla (4-0) in Game 3.

PHILLIES WILL GO WITH MARTINEZ IN GAME 3

Pedro Martinez is getting the ball and the call in another big game.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel chose the aging right-hander over J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton, who made cameo appearances out of the bullpen Thursday, to face the Colorado Rockies in Game 3 of their NL playoff series tonight in Denver.

The best-of-five series is tied at one game each.

Martinez is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in the postseason, and Manuel said he likes his history in cold weather, too. The forecast for Game 3 calls for temperatures dipping into the 20s with snow flurries.

Right-hander Jason Hammel, who went 10-8 during the regular season will pitch for the Rockies.