Utley, Kazmir stand out in Dodgers' 8-4 win
WASHINGTON -- Chase Utley had three hits and three RBIs, including a leadoff homer, and crafty left-hander Scott Kazmir gave up just one run and four hits in seven innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 8-4 on Tuesday night.
Utley had an RBI single in the eighth inning off reliever Blake Treinen to boost the lead to 7-1. But Washington's Trea Turner had a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth off Chris Hatcher to make it 7-3 before left-hander Adam Liberatore came on to pitch for the Dodgers.
Liberatore gave up an RBI double to Daniel Murphy -- who just missed a homer -- with one out as the Nationals trimmed the margin to 7-4, but he then retired Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper.
Yasmani Grandal homered in the ninth for the Dodgers off Shawn Kelley to make it 8-4. Closer Kenley Jansen pitched the bottom of the ninth in a non-save situation.
The Dodgers (53-42) have won all four games this year against the first-place Nationals (56-38), who have lost five of their last nine home games. Los Angeles spoiled the pitching debut of Washington right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, whose fastball was clocked in the high 90s.
Howie Kendrick, hitting behind Utley, had two hits and two RBIs and No. 3 hitter Justin Turner contributed three hits and two RBIs as the top three hitters in the Los Angeles lineup combined for eight hits and five runs.
The soft-tossing Kazmir (8-3), who fanned eight, has not lost since May 9.
Washington, oddly, had five left-handed batters in its starting lineup against Kazmir, including Ben Revere, Murphy and Harper in the two, three and four spots.
The loser was Lopez (0-1), who had been called up from Triple-A Syracuse to pitch in his first major league game. Liberatore has not allowed a run in his last 26 games to extend his Dodgers record.
It was a pride-swallowing debut for Lopez, ranked as the No. 92 prospect in the minors by Baseball America.
His third big league pitch -- a fastball on a 1-1 count -- was lofted over the fence in right by Utley for a homer and a 1-0 Dodgers lead. It was just the second leadoff homer for Utley in his career, which began in 2003.
Joc Pederson, just off the disabled list, had a two-run single later in the inning to make it 3-0. And Utley added an RBI single in the second off Lopez to make it 4-0.
The 22-year-old Lopez flashed his stuff in the third as he struck out the side, the last punchout on a 79 mph curveball to Yasiel Puig.
But the Dodgers built the margin to 6-0 against Lopez after Adrian Gonzalez and Puig had RBI singles in the fifth.
Lopez got a nice ovation from the home fans after he was taken out with two outs in fifth. The right-hander allowed six runs, 10 hits with one walk with nine strikeouts while throwing 105 pitches.
Lopez is the first Dominican pitcher signed and developed by the Nationals (since 2005) to make the majors leagues. He made just two starts above the Double-A level in his minor league career, and had 109 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings in the minors this year. His last minor league start was July 5 in Durham for Triple-A Syracuse.
Kazmir gave up a solo homer in the fifth to Jose Lobaton to make the score 6-1. That came one batter after Kazmir landed strangely as he jumped for a tapper off the bat of Danny Espinosa on a groundout.
NOTES: Dodgers SS Corey Seager, hitting .301 with 17 homers, was not in the starting lineup because of a stomach virus, according to manager Dave Roberts. ... The Nationals placed LHP Sammy Solis on the 15-day disabled list to clear room on the roster for RHP Reynaldo Lopez, who made his big league debut Tuesday. ... The Dodgers reinstated OF Joc Pederson from the 15-day disabled list, recalled LHP Luis Avilan from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed RHP Casey Fien (retroactive to July 17) and LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (retroactive to July 9) on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis. ... Roberts said LHP Clayton Kershaw, who has been on the disabled list since June 27 and remains in California, will not pitch in the Washington series. "Clayton is doing everything he can to get back," Roberts said. ... This series features the only two African-American managers in the majors: Dusty Baker of the Nationals and Roberts. Baker is in his 21st year as a big league skipper, Roberts his first. Both played for the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, among other teams. ... RHP Abel de Los Santos, who pitched in two games for the Nationals in 2015, was claimed off waivers from Washington by the Cincinnati Reds.