, which was great,'' Roberts said. ''He's shown a lot. He has a lot of confidence in himself, as he should. He's taking advantage of this and it absolutely has not gone unnoticed. It's innings that we've needed from him.'' The Nationals were less concerned with having lost the game - their first loss since May 9, thanks in part to a weird, waterlogged week in which two games were postponed and one suspended - than about an injury to Howie Kendrick.The veteran left fielder went to the ground after catching a sacrifice fly by Muncy in the eighth. Kendrick, who's hitting a team-leading .303, put no weight on his right leg and was taken off the field on a cart.The team announced shortly before the nightcap that Kendrick hurt his right Achilles tendon, and he was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Manager Dave Martinez said Kendrick would have an MRI.''It's a huge loss. Not something you want to see, especially when we him. I'm super bummed out, but we'll see what it is and see where we go from there,'' Bryce Harper said. ''He's one of the best teammates I've ever played with.'' Stripling (1-2) struck out the side in the first and fanned a career-high nine on the day, including Harper twice, in the longest and best of his four starts this season. He allowed one run on four hits, walking none.Stripling made 11 relief appearances, allowing one run in 15 1/3 innings, before moving into the Dodgers' rotation. He said he was able to introduce different pitches as the game progressed.''A tough lineup like this, a lot of times you're going to throw the kitchen sink at them from the start. Just not the way it worked out today,'' Stripling said. ''Was able to kind of hold on to the change-up and use it in some big spots.'' Forsythe and Joc Pederson had two hits apiece for Los Angeles, which won its second straight after losing nine of its previous 10.Pederson led off the game with a triple off Tanner Roark (2-4) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yasmani Grandal. Forsythe doubled in the second, breaking an 0-for-12 skid that stretched to April 14 and included a 26-game stint on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He singled in the fifth and scored on a grounder by Cody Bellinger.Roark allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.J. T. Chargois worked the seventh, Josh Fields pitched the eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his seventh save in nine opportunities.ADVENTURES IN EYEWEARHarper wore eyeglasses with clear plastic frames during his first at-bat, when he struck out swinging. He ditched the specs his second time up and drove in the Nationals' only run with a single to center.Curiously, Harper said he couldn't get his contact lenses in before the game and didn't wear them until his third at-bat, when he struck out.A PROPER DEBUTCatcher Spencer Kieboom made his season debut and first major league start for Washington. He got his first career hit on the first pitch he saw, a line-drive single to left off Stripling in the third. Kieboom, a seven-year minor league veteran, saw his only previous big league action in the final game of the 2016 regular season, when he entered as a pinch-hitter, walked and scored in his only plate appearance.TRAINER'S ROOMNationals: OF Rafael Bautista, who appeared in nine games for Washington this season, suffered a serious left knee injury during a collision in the outfield while playing for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night, manager Dave Martinez said. Bautista will have surgery and miss the rest of the season. ... IF Adrian Sanchez was brought up from Syracuse to be the 26th man for the second game.Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (left bicep tendinitis) will be back ''in the near term,'' Roberts said. Stripling said the Dodgers' ace, whose spot in the rotation he has been occupying, was ''set to throw a bullpen here pretty soon.'' ... LHP Tony Cingriani (left shoulder inflammation) was activated from the 10-day disabled list, and LHP Adam Liberatore was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... Los Angeles activated RHP Erik Goeddel for the second game and optioned ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte to Oklahoma City. Goeddel was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Friday. ... RHP Yimi Garcia was the 26th man for the second game.UP NEXTMax Scherzer (7-1, 1.69 ERA) starts the nightcap for Washington against the Dodgers' Rich Hill (1-2, 6.20). Scherzer hasn't lost since April 4, while Hill hasn't won since April 1 and left his last start with a blister on his left middle finger, a recurring problem for the left-hander that has already led to two stints on the disabled list this season.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball---Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BenNuckols)
Dodgers, Nationals to play doubleheader after rainout 5h ago• 3 min read WASHINGTON -- The rain will eventually stop and baseball will eventually return to Nationals Park.Probably.The Washington Nationals were washed out yet again Friday night when they attempted to open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Washington has played just 5 1/2 innings of baseball since completing their game on Sunday.Ever-optimistic despite the forecast, the teams are scheduled to play a day-night doubleheader on Saturday with games scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and 8:05 p.m."Pretty confident," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Saturday's twin bill. "Whether we have to delay a little bit the first game and make a long day even longer potentially. I think we're confident we'll get all three in this weekend." If weather claims one or both of Saturday's games, the teams will (try to) play a doubleheader Sunday.While the Dodgers (17-26) played Thursday and snapped a six-game losing streak with a win in Miami, the streaking Nationals (24-18) have been idle since their game Tuesday night against the visiting New York Yankees was suspended in the sixth inning with the score 3-3."The one day off is nice," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game was postponed a couple of hours before it was supposed to begin. "But now it's getting a little bit to where we want to play, but the weather's not cooperating, so that's out of our hands." The Dodgers' Ross Stripling (0-1, 2.20 ERA) opposes Tanner Roark (2-3, 3.33) in the first game on Saturday. Stripling is 0-1 lifetime in two games against Washington with a 21.60 ERA.In his last start, he left with the lead after allowing two runs and six hits, with a career-high seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of a loss to the Reds.Roark allowed a run and four hits in seven innings of a no-decision last time out, at Arizona.Max Scherzer (7-1, 1.69) will start the second game for the Nationals. He hasn't pitched since May 11. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer is making a strong case for No. 3.He has won six straight decisions and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any start. Scherzer leads the majors with 14 strikeouts per nine innings and has held opponents to a .116 batting average in four home starts this season.Scherzer is 4-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 12 games (10 starts) against the Dodgers.Martinez was asked before Friday's postponement whether he was considering withholding Scherzer if it looked like the game might start and then be delayed."You want to tell Max that?" Martinez said. "He's already been in my office like four times. According to him, he'll pitch five innings and if it rains, we'll be all good. It's his day and he's ready." Scherzer will be opposed by Rich Hill (1-2, 6.20). In his last start, Hill allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In five games against the Nationals, Hill is 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA.Los Angeles made a move to bolster their bullpen Friday, claiming right-hander Erik Goeddel off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. He was 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in five games with Seattle."I know he's a former Bruin. He's pitched well," Roberts said of the former UCLA pitcher. "I don't know a whole lot about him. ... I just kind of learned this. I'm going to dig in on him." Roberts said left-hander Tony Cingrani (left shoulder inflammation) will return from the 10-day disabled list on Saturday.
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