We didn’t get the matchup of pitching titans that we expected, but we still got Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw struck out eight, and of course didn’t walk anybody, in a solid seven-inning stint in a 4-1 Los Angeles Dodgers win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
Scheduled Nats starter Stephen Strasburg (10-0, 2.90 ERA) was scratched an hour and a half before the first pitch with an upper-back strain. Strasburg and manager Dusty Baker both said the starter should be able to make his next scheduled start this weekend.
Yesmeiro Petit (2-1, 3.08 ERA) filled in admirably on short notice, giving up three runs on five hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one.
Petit also got the first hit of the night for Washington (43-28) against Kershaw (11-1, 1.57 ERA) with two outs in the third.
The Nationals had their best chance in the seventh. Daniel Murphy (.356/.397/.590) singled to lead off the inning, and after Ryan Zimmerman (.226/.286/.413) hit into a fielder’s choice, Wilson Ramos (.333/.380/.549) singled, and Anthony Rendon (.250/.330/.396) singled to score Zimmerman.
Danny Espinosa (.214/.310/.397) lined out to left. Kershaw threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third during the at bat of pinch-hitter Chris Heisey (.200/.288/.446), but Heisey flew out to left to end the threat.
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Chris Graham
