The wounded Los Angeles Dodgers took the field Wednesday evening against the Washington Nationals with nearly a full rotation’s worth on the disabled list, Chris Hatcher also on the DL, and Corey Seager unavailable a second straight game because of a stomach virus.
Gio Gonzalez got ahead in the count 0-2 on Howie Kendrick but wound up walking the leadoff man. Chris Taylor then struck out swinging and Justin Turner grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Bud Norris, who made his fourth start with the Dodgers, gave up a two-out double to Daniel Murphy in the bottom of the first. Bryce Harper then hit a towering two-run home run to the third deck in right field.
Anthony Rendon followed with a base hit but was stranded as Trea Turner struck out. Scott Van Slyke legged out an infield single with one out in the second inning. He then stole second base and advanced to third when Wilson Ramos’ throw went into center field.
Gonzalez struck out Yasiel Puig before walking Yasmani Grandal, which led to a Charlie Culberson RBI single that cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 2-1. Norris picked up a pair of strikeouts en route to retiring the side in order in the bottom of the second.
Puig doubled off the wall in left field with two outs in the fourth, only to be stranded by Grandal. Norris tossed another scoreless inning in bottom of the fourth to run his streak of consecutive batters retired to 10.
As Gonzalez continued to sail through the game, Norris ran into trouble in the fifth. After the first two batters were retired, Ben Revere and Jayson Werth combined for back-to-back solo home runs. The Dodgers again failed to get a runner on base in the sixth as Gonzalez retired Taylor, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez in order.
Harper walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth and scored on Ramos’ slicing fly ball to right field that Van Slyke couldn’t make a leaping catch on, resulting in a double. Louis Coleman replaced Norris and gave up an RBI triple to Trea Turner.
Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with one out and it prompted Nationals manager Dusty Baker to pinch-hit Clint Robinson for Gio Gonzalez. Luis Avilan replaced Coleman and appeared to have Espinosa picked off first base.
However, Turner broke for home during the rundown, scored, and Espinosa wound up on second base. Avilan retired Robinson and Revere to end the sixth with the Nationals leading 7-1. Kendrick extended his Major League-best hitting streak to 12 games with a two-out double in the eighth inning.
Kendrick’s double gave the Dodgers their first baserunner since Puig doubled with two outs in the fourth. Taylor made solid contact but lined to center to end the inning. Rendon clubbed a solo homer off J.P. Howell with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
The home run was the Nationals’ fourth on the night, marking the third time this season the Dodgers allowed that many home runs in a single game. Koda Glover entered in the ninth for his Major League debut and needed just four pitches to retire the side in order to wrap up the Nationals’ 8-1 victory.
