Nationals 2 - 3 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

Kershaw powers Dodgers past Nationals

Apr 28, 2012 - 5:27 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Juan Uribe's RBI single in the fourth inning proved to be the winner as the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game set.

Andre Ethier hit a two-run home run in the first inning for the Dodgers, who had dropped three of their past four. Clayton Kershaw (2-0) went eight innings and gave up just two runs on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

"I was able to throw pitches when I needed to," said Kershaw. "There was nothing pretty about it. Getting those early runs was huge tonight."

Adam LaRoche hit a two-run home run for the Nationals, who have dropped their past two games. Ross Detwiler (2-1) gave up all three runs on five hits with two walks over six innings.

"I battled all night and didn't have my best stuff," said Detwiler. "But when you pitch against Kershaw you don't want to give up early runs.

The big news for Washington came before the game as the team announced that Bryce Harper, the top pick of the 2010 draft, will make his MLB-debut on Saturday.

Matt Kemp hit a two-out single in the first and Ethier followed with his fifth homer of the year.

Kemp and Ethier hit consecutive singles to start the fourth and moved up a base each on a sac bunt from Jerry Hairston Jr. After James Loney grounded out, Uribe beat out an infield single for a 3-0 lead.

Washington had men on base in five of the first six innings, but didn't push any runs across until the sixth when Jayson Werth walked and LaRoche followed that with his third homer of the year to make it a 3-2 game.

Kershaw, though, set Washington down in order in the seventh and eighth before Kenley Jansen worked around a hit batter in the ninth for his first save of the season.

Game Notes

Ethier leads the majors with 24 RBI, one more than his teammate Kemp...Kershaw improved to 3-2 in seven games against the Nationals.






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