The Los Angeles Dodgers took on the Washington Nationals in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday night, looking to earn a sweep on the day.
They went into the ninth inning trailing, but behind a two-RBI double by Matt Kemp, they were able to come back and defeat the Nationals, 5-4. Austin Barnes and Logan Forsythe led off the inning with back-to-back singles off Nationals closer Sean Doolittle before Kemp provided the decisive blow.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first as third baseman Max Muncy singled off Nationals ace Max Scherzer in the top of the first inning, driving home Joc Pederson, who doubled to leadoff the game.
Muncy then came up in the fifth inning and hit a solo home run off Scherzer, putting the Dodgers ahead 2-0.
Rich Hill made the start but only lasted two pitches before being removed from the game due to a blister on his left middle finger. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was forced to manage a bullpen game for all 27 outs.
The Dodgers bullpen, which has struggled for much of the season, got off to a good start in the absence of Hill. It began with Scott Alexander, who tossed two shutout innings, striking out four.
Pedro Baez then followed suit with two shutout innings of his own, and through the first four innings of the game, the Dodgers bullpen did not allow a hit.
Yimi Garcia then came in to pitch the fifth and kept the no-hitter intact with a perfect inning. That was as long as it would go though with Trea Turner leading off the sixth with a double off the center-field wall.
That sixth inning looked to be crucial as the Nationals rallied for four runs off the Dodgers bullpen on an RBI-double by Mark Reynolds, a two-run single by Matt Adams and then an RBI-single by Max Scherzer off of Tony Cingrani and Daniel Hudson.
The Dodgers got a run back in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by Cody Bellinger to straightaway center field before coming all the way back in the ninth against Doolittle.
Kenley Jansen then came in to shut the door down in the ninth, earning his second save of the day to help the Dodgers win their third straight game.
