Oct 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley (26) drives in a run with a single in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals during game four of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Utley singled off reliever Blake Treinen (1-1), allowing the Dodgers to avoid elimination and force a decisive Game 5 on Thursday at Nationals Park.
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 for the game-winner.
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 in a perfect ninth 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.
Murphy followed with a two-run single off Luis Avila to knot the score.
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 disk in his back. Kershaw also doubled and walked in three plate appearances.
Washington starter Joe Ross, making his postseason debut, lasted just 2 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Ross, who threw 55 pitches (30 strikes), also hit two batters.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first on Murphy’s RBI single with one out.
In the bottom of the inning, Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run blast to right-center for a 2-1 Los Angeles edge. It was Gonzalez’s first home run of the postseason and the sixth of his career, all with the Dodgers.
Murphy tied the score at 2 with a sacrifice fly in the third.
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.
NOTES: Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will get the nod for Game 5 on Thursday in Washington. The Dodgers were undecided on a starter, but rookie LHP Julio Urias was a likely candidate to make his postseason debut. … Nationals LF Jayson Werth ranks fifth among active players with 15 career postseason home runs. Werth, a former Dodger, was tied with Babe Ruth for 11th all time. The home run Werth hit in Game 3 against the Dodgers was his fourth against them in the playoffs. … Thanks to the bullpen allowing three inherited runners to score Tuesday, Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw saw his career postseason ERA rise to 4.83. He has a 3-6 record in playoff games.
