Chinese star Fan Zhiyi was sent off after just 12 minutes after a violent tackle on Mark Hughes in the penalty box, from which David Dunn converted to give Blackburn the lead.
Graeme Souness' men were in total control after Dunn and Martin Taylor gave them a 3-0 half-time lead.
Palace fought back through Mikael Forssell and Hayden Mullins but they ran out of steam and Blackburn took the win.
Elsewhere Stockport and Gillingham battled to a 2-2 draw with the visitors' owing their point to Marlon King's injury time leveller.
Jarkko Wise gave the County the lead in the 31st minute only to see Junior Lewis equalise.
Substitute Leyton Maxwell had appeared to have given the home side the win with a late goal only for King to lob Lee Jones in the fourth minute of injury time for a dramatic finish to the game.
Click below for a full report on the corresponding fixture:
Crystal Palace 2 Blackburn Rovers 3
Stockport County 2 Gillingham 2
