LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw persevered through five tough innings to win his third consecutive start, and Miguel Rojas hit a two-run homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
Kiké Hernández had two doubles and scored two runs, and Shohei Ohtani added an RBI single for the defending World Series champions. Los Angeles has won six of seven, improving to 6-2 on its 10-game homestand.
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Kershaw (3-0) yielded solo homers by Amed Rosario and Riley Adams, but held Washington to five hits and repeatedly escaped trouble.
Tanner Scott gave up CJ Abrams’ one-out homer in the ninth before finishing his 15th save.
Pinch-hitter Luis García Jr. had a two-run double in the seventh for the Nationals, who opened a nine-game Southern California road trip by falling to 3-15 in June. Washington snapped an 11-game losing streak on Thursday.
MacKenzie Gore (3-7) gave up a season-high six runs — five earned — seven hits and four walks while pitching into the sixth for the Nationals. He has one victory in his last 11 starts.
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Hernández doubled and scored in the third when Mookie Betts beat out the relay throw on a potential inning-ending double play. Betts then scored on Abrams’ throwing error, and Andy Pages added an RBI single.
Adams homered in the fifth, but Rojas’ homer chased Gore in the sixth.
Bench coach Danny Lehmann managed the Dodgers while Dave Roberts served a one-game suspension after his ejection from LA’s loss to San Diego on Thursday.
Key moment
After García’s two-out double with the bases loaded, Washington had two runners in scoring position when Nathaniel Lowe hit a tailing fly to left. Michael Conforto dove forward and made a dramatic catch.
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Key stat
The 37-year-old Kershaw has won three straight starts for the first time since April 2023, coming through when the Dodgers’ rotation is badly depleted by injuries.
Up next
Los Angeles’ Dustin May (4-4, 4.46 ERA) faces Washington’s Jake Irvin (5-2, 4.23) on Saturday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
