Dodgers defeat Nationals on three-base error

LOS ANGELES >> An apparent game-ending double-play ball wound up to be the biggest hit for the Dodgers on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig hit a grounder up the middle with one out in the ninth iing and with the Washington Nationals leading, 3-2. The Nationals were playing a third-base shift and the ball rolled through the infield into center field. Center fielder Michael Taylor looked up when reaching for the ball and it went undeeath him. Howie Kendrick, who was on first base, scored and Puig came charging home behind him, diving onto the plate for an unlikely 4-3 Dodgers victory. Taylor was charged with a three-base error.

It increased the Dodgers’ season-long wiing streak to six games.

The play managed to overshadow a better start by rookie pitcher Julio Urias.

About two hours before the first pitch at Dodger Stadium, Nationals manager Dusty Baker fielded a question about the Dodgers’ next teenage pitching phenom. Is Urias the next Feando Valenzuela?

The comparisons had long started. When Urias made his first start against the Mets in New York in late May, he became the youngest left-hander in club history to debut since, well, Valenzuela in 1980. Both were 19 years old.

Urias also grew up in Culiacán, Mexico, about 225 miles south along the Gulf of Califoia from Navojoa, Valenzuela’s hometown.

Baker, a former Dodgers outfielder, was a teammate of Valenzuela’s for four seasons from 1980-83.

Rather than add to the buildup, Baker tued to a joke.

“I was supposed to be the ‘next Hank Aaron,’” he quipped, “and you see what happened.”

But Urias remained in search of his first victory when he exited his sixth career start in the major leagues after five iings with the game tied at 2.

The rookie pitched well enough, still. He surrendered six hits and two runs in five iings while striking out six and walking one.

Urias twice faed Nationals standout Bryce Harper, using the same pitch and nearly identical location — a mid-70s curveball that dropped in the zone up and away.

Wilson Ramos broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth iing when he w a solo home run 421 feet to left field off right-hander Pedro Baez.

By then, Urias was already in line for no decision.

Corey Seager evened the game in the third iing after driving a 94 mph fastball over the wall in center field for his 16th home run.

Advertisement

Among shortstops, only Colorado’s Trevor Story has hit more homers. He has 18.

Urias gave up a pair of runs in the second iing, starting with a two-out, RBI double by Day Espinosa.

The Long Beach State product ripped a fastball to left field. Trayce Thompson caught up to it, scaled the wall, but missed it. The ball bounced off the top of the wall in play.

Officials summoned a replay review to see if Espinosa had hit it out, but the call was upheld.

Joe Ross, the Nationals’ starting pitcher, laced a double down the first-base line in the next at-bat to score Espinosa. It was Ross’ first career RBI.

It was the steepest workload of the season for Urias, who threw a season-high 94 pitches and third consecutive start where he saw at least five iings.

Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Urias would be kept “right around” 90 pitches.

The Dodgers were the first to get on the scoreboard Wednesday in the first iing when Chase Utley reached home from third base on a wild pitch by Ross, the Nationals starter.

It was also a career milestone for Utley, his 1,000th career run.