The Dodgers were eager to get their bats going after Monday’s off day, plating 14 runs, including a seven-run fourth and a six-run seventh inning.
Hiroki Kuroda had plenty of run support, but he didn’t need much of it, holding the Nationals to two runs (none earned) on four hits while striking out six. A Rafael Furcal fielding error in the third allowed two runs to score, otherwise Kuroda completely shut down the Nats.
Every starting Dodger got on base in this one, with four having multi-hit games. The biggest offense highlight was Furcal, who made up for his error by going 4 for 5 with four RBIs and two runs. Loney and Blake each also had multi-hit games, and each with two runs scored and two RBIs.
The Dodgers are within a couple games of officially clinching a post-season guarantee. Chad Billingsley will take on Ross Detwiler on Thursday. Billingsley was rocked in his last outing, which was a relief appearance against the Giants last Friday, though he is 3-0 lifetime against the Nationals. Detwiler is a winless 0-6 with a 5.80 ERA, and has spent some time in Triple-A during his struggles this season.
