Yasmani Grandal talks about his game-winning 3-run home run of Tanner Roark in the 8th inning in the Dodgers 3-2 come from behind victory.
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(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong).
After dropping the series opener to the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, the Washington Nationals try to stop their three-game losing streak with Tanner Roark on the mound opposite left-hander Scott Kazmir. He went six innings, gave up the three runs on five hits, struck out five, and walked one on 94 pitches (60 strikes) in the loss.
Kershaw (11-1) was content to direct all attention to Jansen, the undrafted free agent from Curacao who has become the most prolific closer in this venerable franchise’s history in less than six years. In July of 2010, it was shoulder inflammation. “To get my first save with the Dodgers with him, and then to break the record with him, that’s awesome”. Pittsburgh just got swept by the NL Central-leading Cubs over the weekend, and now host NL West-leading San Francisco for four games. He surpassed Eric Gagne with his 162nd save, including 20 this season.
“I feel like my confidence has been the same; I feel fine at the plate”, Grandal said. They worked on him all day yesterday, and they worked on him today.
The spectactular play kept the Nationals lead at just two, allowing Grandal’s three-run homer to be the go-ahead runs the Dodgers need to win the game.
The Washington Nationals scratched Stephen Strasburg from his start Monday with an upper-back strain.
“We were looking forward to seeing [the matchup] also”, Baker said. “Because we’ve got a long way to go”.
Louis Coleman (1-1) recorded the win with one scoreless inning.
One outing removed from throwing an inefficient 93 pitches to get through four innings, Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir produced a quality start. Anthony Rendon drove in the Nationals’ run in the seventh, but Baker couldn’t be too upset by the Nats’ effort.
“Everybody has difficulty with Kershaw”, Baker said. “He’s a nasty man”.
“The heat out there, you see him working a little more than usual”, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But he got us through seven innings”.
Turner put the Dodgers ahead in the first with his 10th homer, including five in his last eight games. “I was able to get it up in the air enough and actually hit it to dead center”.
After Corey Seager doubled and scored on Turner’s single in the fourth, Pederson connected in the fifth, driving his 13th homer down the right-field line. Adrian Gonzalez was out at first. The Nationals right-hander is 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA and 118 strikeouts, tied for third in the Majors entering Sunday – to no surprise Kershaw leads all pitchers in the Bigs with 133 K’s. Strasburg has spent the better part of the previous year reestablishing himself as a Prime-time pitcher and working almost as hard as Kershaw reportedly does.
Dodgers: OF Yasiel Puig will be activated from the disabled list Tuesday, Roberts said.
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It won’t show up in the box score, but left-fielder Howie Kendrick made some dazzling defensive plays in the game.
