Baseball: Dodgers edge Nats, send NLDS to Game Five
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[October 12, 2016]
(The Sports Xchange) - Chase
Utley's RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning lifted the Los
Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on
Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, leveling the National League Division
Series at 2-2.
Utley singled off reliever Blake Treinen (1-1), allowing the Dodgers
to force a decisive Game Five in Washington on Thursday.
Daniel Murphy went 2-for-3 and had four RBIs for the Nationals, who
rallied from a three-run deficit to tie the score in the seventh
before Utley drove home Andrew Toles.
Dodgers reliever Joe Blanton (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless
1-1/3 innings for the win. Closer Kenley Jansen also fanned two for
the save.
Los Angeles held a 5-2 lead in the seventh when the Nationals loaded
the bases with singles by Danny Espinosa and Trea Turner and a walk
to Bryce Harper off Clayton Kershaw.
Manager Dave Roberts replaced Kershaw with Pedro Baez, who promptly
hit Jayson Werth with his first pitch, cutting the Dodgers' margin
to two runs before Murphy followed with a two-run single off Luis
Avila.
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Kershaw, who worked on three days' rest, struck out 11 but was
charged with five runs on seven hits in 6-2/3 innings.
He threw 110 pitches (76 strikes), the most he delivered since
returning on Sept. 9 from a herniated disc in his back.
Washington starter Joe Ross, making his post-season debut, lasted
just 2-2/3 innings, surrendering four runs on three hits with three
strikeouts and two walks. Ross also hit two batters.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first on Murphy's RBI single
with one out before Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run blast to
right-center in the bottom of the innings for a 2-1 Los Angeles
edge.
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From left Los Angeles
Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley (26), shortstop Corey Seager (5)
and center fielder Joc Pederson (31) celebrate after defeating the
Washington Nationals 6-5 in game four of the 2016 NLDS playoff
baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne
Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
Murphy tied the score at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third
before Los Angeles grabbed the lead again in the bottom of the third
when Justin Turner's single scored Kershaw, who led off the inning
with a double.
Then, with the bases loaded, Ross hit Joc Pederson on a full count
to score Turner for a 4-2 advantage.
In the fifth, Pederson lined a double to left off reliever Reynaldo
Lopez, scoring Josh Reddick to increase the margin to 5-2.
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