Nationals 7 - 2 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

Dodgers welcome Nationals to Chavez Ravine

Jul 22, 2011 - 2:50 PM (Sports Network) - Japanese-born right-hander Hiroki Kuroda gets a chance to pitch the Los Angeles Dodgers out of last place tonight when they host the Washington Nationals to open a three-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers enter the series last in the four-team National League West, a half-game behind the San Diego Padres and 13 1/3 games in back of the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Los Angeles salvaged the finale of a three-game series with the Giants at AT&T Park on Wednesday when Clayton Kershaw struck out a season-high 12 batters over eight brilliant innings as the Dodgers avoided a sweep with a 1-0 victory.

A home run by Dioner Navarro to lead off the seventh inning was one of just five Los Angeles hits off Tim Lincecum (8-8), who fanned seven and walked four while pitching into the eighth inning.

Kershaw (11-4) scattered three singles and issued one walk. Javy Guerra worked a perfect ninth to notch his sixth save of the season and snap the Dodgers' in-series skid at six games.

Kuroda, who turned 36 in February, has won just once in his last 10 starts, an interleague defeat of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 1.

He's pitched and lost twice since, allowing a combined 13 hits and seven runs in 12 innings against the New York Mets and Arizona while the Dodgers have been outscored, 8-5.

Los Angeles is just 7-12 in Kuroda's 19 starts in 2011.

Kuroda is 1-0 in two career meetings with the Nationals, allowing just seven hits and two earned runs in 13 innings with 14 strikeouts.

Washington, meanwhile, counters with lefty John Lannan, who's won four of five decisions in his last 10 starts to get to .500 for the season.

The New York native fell to 2-5 for 2011 after an 8-3 interleague loss at Baltimore on May 21, but has beaten Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle and Atlanta since to get to 6-6 overall.

He allowed five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Braves, walking four batters and striking out four.

Lannan is 2-1 in three career meetings with the Dodgers while giving up seven earned runs in 19 innings.

On Wednesday in Houston, Jason Michaels singled in the 11th to score Humberto Quintero as the Astros took down Washington, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Jayson Werth went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a two-run homer that followed a Michael Morse single. The Nationals, though, have lost seven of their last 10.

Todd Coffey (3-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up three hits in the 11th, including the game-winner.

Washington split its six meetings with the Dodgers last season.






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