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 "I hate taking credit," Gonzalez said. "Credit goes to Lobaton and
the guys that played their hearts out today. Offense, defense,
everybody just looked great tonight."
Shortstop Ian Desmond homered twice and Gonzalez tossed eight
shutout innings, sparking the Nationals to an 8-3 romp over the
Dodgers before 45,722 at Dodger Stadium.
Gonzalez, who is 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his past eight starts,
scattered seven hits and a walk while striking out six on 117
pitches (76 strikes).
The Nationals (58-53) handed the Dodgers (62-50) their first
four-game losing streak of the season. The win kept Washington 1 1/2
games back of the National League East-leading New York Mets, while
the Dodgers' lead in the NL West dwindled to 2 1/2 games over the
idle San Francisco Giants.
"I just thought he was in command the whole night," Washington
manager Matt Williams said of Gonzalez. "The key for him is pitch
count early, keeping it down as we spoke about today. That allowed
him to get through eight. He pitched really well."
A sharp curveball helped Gonzalez's effectiveness and limited the
Dodgers' offense. Gonzalez, though, acknowledged he faced a weary
Los Angeles club that didn't land in Southern California until about
4 a.m. from Pittsburgh, where the Dodgers dropped a 13-6 contest
Sunday night to the Pirates. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and right
fielder Yasiel Puig were the only regulars to start Monday.
"I wanted to be really aggressive with these guys, especially
knowing it was tough for them with that late-night road trip,"
Gonzalez said. "I felt like they were going to be real aggressive
tonight. It was just me trying to find (Lobaton's) glove."
Desmond went deep in the second and eighth innings, giving him 14
home runs. He recorded his second career multi-home run game; the
first was in 2010. Desmond went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three
runs.
A five-run Washington uprising in the sixth inning doomed Los
Angeles.
An RBI single by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, a two-run double by
left fielder Jayson Werth and a run-scoring base hit by center
fielder Michael Taylor, who also had three hits, highlighted the
sixth and chased Dodgers starter Brett Anderson. The left-hander
allowed seven consecutive batters to reach base, six of them on
hits.
Third baseman Yunel Escobar added a RBI groundout to cap the scoring
in the inning.
Anderson (6-7) lasted five-plus innings, surrendering seven runs on
10 hits with three walks and a strikeout. It was the first time
Anderson faced the Nationals.
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"They've got some guys that are tough matchups for him, I believe,"
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "All through (their lineup) are
righties. They're not a rollover club. It's not a club out there
trying to pull him or roll him over. Still, he was throwing the ball
pretty good there until he hit the snag."
Dodgers pinch hitter Carl Crawford hit a three-run home run off Doug
Fister with two outs in the ninth to ruin the shutout. Crawford has
two homers this year.
The Nationals took the lead in the second inning. Zimmerman led off
the inning with a double, and Desmond homered one batter later,
driving a 1-0 Anderson pitch into the seats in left for a 2-0
Washington lead.
Dodgers second baseman Jose Peraza, making his major league debut in
place of Howie Kendrick (hamstring), had a two-out triple in the
third for his first big league hit. However, Peraza was left
stranded at third when Gonzalez struck out Puig to end the inning.
Washington right fielder Bryce Harper went 1-for-5, extending his
hitting streak to 10 games with a sixth-inning single.
NOTES: Dodgers 2B Howie Kendrick was placed on the 15-day disabled
list with a strained left hamstring. Kendrick sustained the injury
Sunday at Pittsburgh. INF Jose Peraza, who was obtained from the
Atlanta Braves in a multi-player deal July 30, was called up from
Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Kendrick on the roster and started
at second base. The 21-year-old became the youngest Dodgers position
player to debut since 19-year-old 3B Adrian Beltre in 1998. ...
Monday's starters, Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez and Dodgers LHP Brett
Anderson, were teammates from 2009 through 2011 with the Oakland
A's. ... Nationals RHP Joe Ross (3-3, 2.80 ERA) will face Dodgers
RHP Zack Greinke (11-2, 1.71 ERA) in the second game of the
three-game series Tuesday. ... Los Angeles RHP Carlos Frias had his
option voided, and he was placed back on the 15-day DL, retroactive
to Aug. 2, due to lower back tightness.
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