Dodgers 7 - 4 Nationals
Final
  for this game

Dodgers top Nats with ninth-inning surge

Sep 9, 2011 - 12:58 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Tony Gwynn Jr. cracked a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning to send the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-4 win over Washington on Thursday.

The teams were supposed to play a doubleheader, but the second game was postponed because of rain. It will only be made up if necessary at the end of the season.

Dee Gordon finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and Juan Rivera added a pair of two- run doubles for the Dodgers.

Mike MacDougal (3-1) worked a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Javy Guerra shut down the Nats in the ninth to notch his 16th save of the season.

Jayson Werth ripped a two-run homer, while Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse added RBI doubles for the Nationals.

Drew Storen (6-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs on three hits.

In the ninth, Jerry Sands was plunked by Storen with one out to begin the rally for the Dodgers. Rod Barajas then slapped a single to left to give LA runners on first and second. After pinch-hitter Trent Oeltjen struck out, Gwynn drove a fastball into the right-center field gap to put the Dodgers ahead. Gwynn then came around to score on a single by Gordon to account for the final margin.

"Every guy that gets their name called out of the bullpen has been putting up some good innings," Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley said. "They kept the game right there and we had good at-bats in the ninth inning and Tony came up with the big hit."

The Dodgers opened the scoring in their first at-bat. Gordon led off the frame by ripping a single up the middle and James Loney followed with a ground-rule double over the left field wall to put runners on second and third. After Gordon was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Matt Kemp, Rivera smacked a two-run double to left, giving Los Angeles the early lead.

Washington had an opportunity to get on the board in the second inning when Billingsley walked the bases loaded with two outs. But he recovered to strike out Nats starter Chien-Ming Wang to end the inning.

Gordon began the third inning with a single into right and Loney followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners with no outs. After Gordon was thrown out at home for the second time on a Kemp grounder, Rivera smoked a line drive to left. Morse misjudged the ball and it soared over his head, allowing two runs to score and making it a 4-0 game.

Washington plated four runs in the home half of the inning to pull even. Ian Desmond got things started with a single into right and moved to second on a groundout by Steve Lombardozzi. Zimmerman doubled in Desmond and Morse doubled in Zimmerman before Werth deposited a hanging breaking ball from Billingsley into the left-field seats.

"We've been kind of hot and cold with the bats this year," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "I thought we should have jumped on them a little bit more."

Game Notes

Wang pitched six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while fanning three without issuing a walk...Billingsley lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out two...Washington is 39-32 at home this season...Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos had his 10-game hitting streak snapped...Prior to the game, the Dodgers announced they were shutting down outfielder Andre Ethier for the remainder of the season due to a persistent knee problem...Werth's homer was his 19th of the season.






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