Oct 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (28) reacts after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Photo Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth homered, and the Washington Nationals moved within a win of advancing to the National League Championship Series by posting an 8-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday at Dodger Stadium.
Reliever Sammy Solis (1-0) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Nationals, who grabbed a 2-1 series lead and can wrap up the best-of-five affair Tuesday in Los Angeles. Mark Melancon closed out the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda (0-1) worked only three innings and allowed four runs on five hits. Maeda, who was making his postseason debut, struck out four, walked two and hit a batter.
Rendon hit a two-run shot in the third, capping a four-run rally that gave Washington a 4-1 lead.
Werth, who was 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs, drilled a solo blast into the left field bleachers off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to lead off the ninth. Ryan Zimmerman added a two-run double for Washington, which pulled away with a four-run ninth.
Carlos Ruiz went deep for the Dodgers.
Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
A bloop single by Werth and walks to Bryce Harper and Rendon allowed the Nationals to load the bases with two outs in the first. However, Maeda fanned Ryan Zimmerman to end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Corey Seager’s RBI double scored Justin Turner for a 1-0 Los Angeles lead.
However, the Nationals rallied in the third. An RBI double by Werth and a run-scoring single by Harper put Washington up by a run before Rendon smacked a two-run homer to left for a 4-1 advantage. It was Rendon’s first home run of the postseason.
Ruiz delivered a two-run, pinch-hit homer with one out in the fifth to cut the gap to 4-3. It marked the first time the Dodgers launched a postseason pinch-hit home run since Orlando Hudson hit one in the 2009 National League Championship Series. For Ruiz, it was his first of the playoffs.
NOTES: The Nationals dropped all three of their regular-season game at Dodger Stadium in June. They were 1-5 overall against the Dodgers with LHP Gio Gonzalez earning the lone victory in Washington. … Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig got his first start of the series and went 0-for-3. Charlie Culberson started at second base instead of left-handed-hitting Chase Utley so manager Dave Roberts could get another right-handed batter in the lineup against Gonzalez. Culberson also finished 0-for-3. … Former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser threw out the ceremonial first pitch with ex-teammate Steve Sax serving as his catcher. … Los Angeles LHP Julio Urias is penciled in as the starter for Game 4, but Washington had not announced its Game 4 pitcher before the start of Monday’s game. … Game 5, if necessary, is slated for Thursday at Nationals Park.
