Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw Lead Dodgers To 4-1 Home Win Over Nationals

Kenley Jansen earned the Los Angeles Dodgers’ all-time saves record with 162 as he closed out the team’s 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.

Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw Lead Dodgers To 4-1 Home Win Over Nationals

Clayton Kershaw, meanwhile, held the Nationals to one run in seven innings to earn his 11th win.

Kershaw cruised for six innings, scattering three hits while striking out eight, but then lost his momentum in the seventh. Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos all singled to double Washington’s hit total against the left-hander and get into the run column. The Nationals had advanced the tying run to second before Chris Heisey flied out to center to finish the inning.  

“It’s kind of a turnkey deal for me when Clayton takes the mound,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The heat, a little bit out there, you see him working a little extra tonight, but he got us through seven innings. They’re a team that slugs over there. They found some holes in the seventh, but as Clayton always does, he found a way.”

After ending with eight strikeouts and no walks, Kershaw improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 20.14, keeping him on track to shatter the single-season record.

Nationals spot starter Yusmeiro Petit replaced Stephen Strasburg, who was scratched with an upper back strain. Strasburg had been off to one of the best starts of his career at 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA. Petit allowed three runs and a total of six base-runners while striking out five.

“His arm is very resilient,” Nats manager Dusty Baker said about Petit. “He threw big-time strikes, and he kept us in the game. Heck, he even got a hit, our first hit. He saved our bullpen.”

Third baseman Justin Turner hit a 418-foot solo home run to center field in the bottom of the first to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The homer extended Turner’s hitting streak to eight games, a span in which he’s hit .467 with five homers.

“I think JT is being JT right now,” Roberts said. “Obviously a bit of a struggle early. It’s not like he’s necessarily hot, this is just him. This is the way he hits. Hits good pitching. Hits good pitches. Not really one way to get him out. It’s fun to get him back.”

Jansen’s record-breaking save came in the top of the ninth, when he struck out Ryan Zimmerman and Ramos, then forced a weak grounder from Rendon. Jansen passed Eric Gagne to become the leader on the all-time Dodgers save list with his 162nd save, which also made him the first Dodger ever with five 20-save seasons.

“The consistency that he brings every year to the back end of our games, it’s nice to have,” Turner said. “It’s nice to know when you pass the ball to him with the lead, you got a really good chance of winning the ballgame.”

The two teams will face off again for the second of their three-game series in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Left-hander Scott Kazmir will start for the Dodgers (39-33, 2nd in NL West), while right-hander Tanner Roark will take the mound for the Nationals (43-28, 1st in NL East).

PHOTO: LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 20: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to a groundball for the final Washington Nationals out and a save to become the Los Angeles Dodgers all time save leader at Dodger Stadium on June 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena