Dodgers' Norris battered by Nationals in loss

WASHINGTON, D.C. >> If you’ve ever had a car equipped with one of those “limited-use” spare tires, you know it’s not a good idea to drive too long on one.

That’s what Bud Norris was supposed to be for the Dodgers, a limited-use acquisition to get them just far enough down the road for Clayton Kershaw to retu to the rotation. Or Hyun-Jin Ryu. Or Alex Wood. Or …

Norris’ fourth start for the Dodgers was a blowout. He allowed three home runs and six runs in all as the Washington Nationals beat the Dodgers, 8-1, Wednesday night at Nationals Park.

Since throwing six scoreless innings in his first start after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves just days after Kershaw went on the DL with a back injury, each of Norris’ starts has been progressively worse. He hasn’t retired a batter in the sixth inning since that debut and has now allowed 10 runs on 15 hits in 10 innings over his past two outings.

Wednesday’s problems started with a bang — a big bang. After Daniel Murphy doubled with two outs in the first inning, Bryce Harper drove a two-run home run deep into the upper reaches of Nationals Park. The two-run shot was estimated at 451 feet, the longest of Harper’s 20 home runs this season.

It was the loudest but not the last blast off Norris. He gave up back-to-back home runs of more modest length to Ben Revere and Jayson Werth in the fifth inning and then was chased in the sixth when he started the inning by walking Harper and giving up an RBI double to Wilson Ramos.

Ramos scored on a triple by Trea Tuer off Dodgers reliever Louis Coleman and then Tuer stole home when Danny Espinosa was picked off by Luis Avilan but created a rundown between first and second base.

The Nationals added a fourth home run when Anthony Rendon went deep against J.P. Howell in the eighth.

The Dodgers’ offense had none of that liveliness.

They managed just three hits and one run (on Charlie Culberson’s RBI single in the second inning) in six innings against Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez. Howie Kendrick’s two-out double in the eighth inning ended a stretch of 12 consecutive Dodgers retired by Gonzalez and the Nationals bullpen. It also extended Kendrick’s hitting streak to 12 games.

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