Friday's National League Division Series opener between the Dodgers and Nationals wasn't exactly the dynamic pitchers' duel many were hoping to see.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Nationals No. 1 starter Max Scherzer both struggled in LA's 4-3 victory at Nationals Park.
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Kershaw allowed three runs in five innings and was pulled after throwing 101 pitchers (65 strikes). He did strike out seven batters, but he had to pitch out of jams multiple times after allowing eight hits and a walk.
Scherzer had thrown 91 pitches (60 for strikes) before Wilmer Difo pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the sixth inning. Scherzer gave up a solo home run to Dodgers rookie Corey Seager in the first inning and surrendered a two-run blast to Justin Turner in the top of the third. Scherzer struck out five without a walk, but the two long balls hurt.
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Dodgers relievers bailed out Kershaw; Kenley Jansen closed out the victory with a five-out save.
Three takeaways from the Dodgers' Game 1 win:
1. Kershaw's postseason struggles continue. He's a six-time All-Star, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 NL MVP, but he has inexplicably struggled beyond the regular season. Kershaw had won his last eight starts against the Nationals with an ERA of 0.88. Even with Friday's win, Kershaw is now just 3-6 in the postseason.
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2. Dusty Baker goes all in. After trailing 4-0 early, the Nationals got back into the game thanks to Anthony Rendon's two-run single in the bottom of the third. Rendon's hit came after Baker made a gutsy decision for a double steal with Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth against Kershaw, who had allowed just one stolen base all season. The postseason isn't a time to be overly cautious and he is willing to pull out all the stops to get his first championship as a manager.
3. The Dodgers' bullpen can go deep. After Kershaw was pulled, LA manager Dave Roberts used four pitchers to preserve the win. Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton and Pedro Baez kept the Nats scoreless before Jansen finished it. Jansen, who batted for himself in the top of the ninth, was perfect in the bottom of the inning and struck out Werth for the final out.
Highlight
Turner's two-run homer in the third was just out of Werth's reach over the left-field wall.
Justin Turner pic.twitter.com/8nhsxwCORY
— Brent Johnson (@Bj1Brent) October 7, 2016
What's next
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers at Nationals, 4 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 — The Dodgers will have Rich Hill (12-5, 2.12 ERA) on the mound in his postseason debut. He has shined in his six starts with a 1.83 ERA since being acquired from the A's. The Nationals will counter with Tanner Roark (16-10, 2.83), who took the loss in a 3-2 Dodgers win on June 21.