Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer weren’t sharp. The Los Angeles bullpen was just a little better than the Nats bullpen, and that was the difference in Game 1 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers got to Scherzer early with a pair of home runs and made them stick in a 4-3 win Friday night.
L.A. leads the best-of-five series 1-0. Game 2 is Saturday at Nats Park.
Corey Seager hit a solo homer in the first, and Justin Turner went deep with a two-run shot in the third, after an RBI single by Chase Utley.
Scherzer gave up four runs on five hits in six innings of work, striking out five.
Kershaw, staked to the 4-0 lead, almost gave it back. Anthony Rendon cut the lead in half with a two-run single in the third, and a Trea Turner sac fly in the fourth cut the deficit to one.
But that would be it for the offenses. The Dodgers pen gave up one hit and walked two in four innings, with Kenley Jansen getting five outs for the save, going 27 pitches to do so.
The Nats pen gave up three hits and two walks in three innings of relief.
Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman each had two hits for Washington, which falls to 1-4 all-time in home playoff games.
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Chris Graham
