Desmond hits 2 HRs in Nats’ 8-3 win over Dodgers

Second baseman Howie Kendrick was placed on the 15-day disabled list less than 24 hours after straining his left hamstring running out an infield hit.

Williams seemed optimistic Harper, who had surgery on the same knee in 2013, would miss no more than a game or two. “That one-two punch has been pretty good”.

The Dodgers scratched a run out against Zimmermann in the third.

With four walks Tuesday, Ross doubled his career total. Seventy-one of his 101 pitches were thrown for strikes.

“They’ve got some guys that are tough matchups for him, I believe”, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Seven of their eight best offensive players were on the field, yet Kershaw took a flawless game into the sixth inning. He has also allowed as many earned runs in his last three games than he did in his previous 67 combined. However, Hernandez dived and gloved the smash and made a strong throw to first to nail Escobar on a close play.

The no-hitter was already lost by that point.

“I had a lot of things working in my favor, which is always nice”, he said. The left-hander topped 200 strikeouts for the sixth straight season, tying the franchise mark set by lefty Sandy Koufax. “My slider wasn’t quite as sharp in terms of being able to locate it. It was just kind of an off night”.

“Every time he goes out on the mound there’s a possibility of something special happening”.

“Saved a run for us”, Kershaw said.

He did make a bit of history in the end.

That’s fitting, since there must have been times in the 1960s when those two soothed a jittery fan base’s nerves with outings similar to those Greinke and Kershaw have been trotting out routinely this season. Koufax (1961-66) and Tom Seaver (1968-76) are the only National League pitchers since 1900 to previously accomplish the feat in six or more consecutive seasons.

Los Angeles Angels: Shane Victorino (FD $2200, DK $2700), Mike Trout (FD $5000, DK $5500), Albert Pujols (FD $4000, DK $4200), Kole Calhoun (FD $3500, DK $4100) – I always look forward to stacking up against John Danks and tonight is that night as the Angels get to take their hacks against him. “Hopefully in 10 years or so, I’ll be in that category”.

The Dodgers won with only four hits to the Nationals’ three. But they did scratch out a run in the third inning on a 10-pitch walk by Pederson, a ground out and a two-out, RBI single by Carl Crawford. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball.

Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins is living up to his vow to be better in the second half of the season.

With one out, Nationals reliever Drew Storen hit Pederson in the foot with a pitch.

“Bryce Harper is one of the great hitters in the game right now”, Jansen said. Dough Fister pitched in the ninth and allowed 3 runs but 0 ER. Crawford and Hernandez were clutch at the plate and in the field. “These guys come in and throw eight [innings] or whatever and just kind of give everybody the day off. It’s just kind of normal stuff”. “For as good as my stuff was the last time, it was equally as bad today”.