WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals started the day with a blast, then struck out in pursuit of two wins after too many swings and misses against Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw struck out a season-high 14 in eight shutout innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Nationals 4-2 to earn a split of the two games decided Saturday.
Hours earlier, pinch-hitter Matt den Dekker lined a two-run homer in the eighth inning that lifted the Nationals over the Dodgers 5-3 in the completion of a game suspended a day earlier after the fifth because of a lighting malfunction.