The Washington Nationals are hoping to win their first road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in over nine years, but in order to do so they must get past Clayton Kershaw, a task easier said than done. Washington is fresh off their 6-4 win on Sunday thanks to Denard Span's two home runs and now they will try and get past baseball's best pitcher for the sweep.
Kershaw is looking to become baseball's first 17-game winner by getting his fifth straight win over the Washington Nationals. The left-hander has all-but locked down a third Cy Young Award as he 13-1 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 16 starts. The pitcher gave up just one unearned run while putting up 10 strikeouts in his last start to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his last four matchups to the Washington Nationals, he is 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA. His last start against the team consisted of nine hits and seven scoreless innings along with nine strikeouts. The Dodgers are at risk of getting their third straight home loss, a season high. The team currently sits two games in front of the San Francisco Giants for the lead in the NL West and need Kershaw's pitching to keep pace.
The Nationals will send Doug Fister to the mound who is trying to stop his three-game losing streak. Fister is 12-6 on the season with a 2.55 ERA, but is coming off back-to-back losses after allowing nine runs and 17 hits in 11 innings. He gave up five runs and 10 hits in just five innings in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Fister is trying to keep pace with the Washington bats who currently lead the National League with 44 home runs since Austin. They had four on Monday alone. Span has three home runs and two doubles in his last five games, but is hitless against Kershaw in his career.
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