WASHINGTON — Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa hit two-run homers and six pitchers combined for a shutout as the Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Monday.
The game featured a rain delay of 3:17 in the middle of the fourth and the game ended at 1:21 EST Tuesday morning. The announced crowd was 25,447 but there were just a few dozen fans in the stands, mostly behind both dugouts, when the game ended.
Third baseman Rendon’s homer drove in center fielder Denard Span (three hits), who led off the game with a double against starter and loser Zack Greinke (5-1). Danny Espinosa, the second baseman who had fanned in his previous three at-bats, went deep in the eighth against Pedro Baez, in his first big league game, to give the Nationals a cushion of 4-0.
Dodgers pitcher Brandon League took the mound in the bottom of the fourth at nearly midnight EST in place of Greinke.
Rookie Aaron Barrett (2-0) came on to pitch in the top of the fifth for the Nationals, after starter Jordan Zimmermann went four scoreless innings before the rain delay. Barrett, Jerry Blevins, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and closer Rafael Soriano each pitched a scoreless inning, with Soriano keeping his ERA at 0.00 with a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.
Greinke went three innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs. His streak of 18 games in a row of allowing two runs or less in at least five innings came to an end — thanks to a rain delay of 197 minutes.
Washington left fielder Nate McLouth left the game with two outs in the top of the eighth after he made a diving catch in foul territory on a ball hit by Dee Gordon, the Dodgers’ second baseman. McLouth came up holding his right, throwing hand and he was replaced by Kevin Frandsen.
Greinke entered the game having allowed two runs or fewer while throwing at least five innings for 18 consecutive starts — the longest such streak since 1914.
However, it took just two batters for the Nationals to score twice, as Rendon golfed a two-run homer to center in the bottom of the first to give Washington a 2-0 lead. Rendon’s fifth homer of the season came on a 1-2 pitch and scored Span, who led off the inning with a double down the left-field line as a steady rain fell early in the game.
The game was delayed by rain after the top of the fourth inning.
The Dodgers won each of their previous five games against Washington.
Greinke entered the game unbeaten in his last 13 starts against National League East foes, with a record of 9-0 and a 2.49 ERA since May 25, 2011.
Since joining the Dodgers, Greinke was 10-0 with a 1.95 ERA in 14 starts following a loss by Los Angeles. The Dodgers lost 5-4 to the Marlins on Sunday in Miami.
NOTES: Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig was held out of the starting lineup after he was hurt chasing a game-winning double by Miami Marlins 2B Jeff Baker in the ninth inning Sunday. Manager Don Mattingly said Puig is day-to-day. Puig passed a concussion test after Sunday’s game. … Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw is slated to make his first start of the season Tuesday at Nationals Park. The Nationals had not named their starter at game time Monday, but candidates included LHP Ross Detwiler and Triple-A Syracuse RHP Blake Treinen. … The Dodgers called up RHP Pedro Baez from Double-A Chattanooga and sent RHP Stephen Fife to Triple-A Albuquerque. Fife started Sunday against the Marlins and allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. Baez is on the Dodgers’ roster for the first time. … Washington activated OF Scott Hairston off the disabled list and sent OF Steven Souza Jr. to Triple-A Syracuse. Hairston recovered from an oblique injury.