LOS ANGELES — Yasmani Grandal hit a towering three-run homer in the eighth inning Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2.
Tanner Roark (6-5), who had been masterful all night behind a 2-0 lead, put the first two batters on in the eighth inning and Grandal drove a 2-1 fastball over the center field fence. It was the catcher’s sixth home run of the season.
One day after becoming the Dodgers’ all-time saves leader, Kenley Jansen earned his 21st of the season with a perfect inning of relief.
Louis Coleman (1-1) recorded the winner with one scoreless inning.
Roark cruised through the first seven innings but took his first loss since May 20. He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, walking one and striking out five.
Scott Kazmir made few mistakes and the two — a pair of solo home runs — appeared as though they would earn him his first loss since May 20. Kazmir went five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits, walking one (intentional) and striking out four.
Danny Espinosa gave Washington a 2-0 lead when he led off the fifth inning with a solo home run, his 12th of the season.
Kazmir continued to pitch himself into trouble in the fifth, intentionally walking Daniel Murphy to load the bases with two outs. But he got Ryan Zimmerman to swing and miss on a curveball for strike three to get out of the jam.
With two outs in the first inning, Bryce Harper drove a 2-1 fastball into the left field stands with two outs to put the Nationals on the board. It was Harper’s 15th home run of the season and just his second this month.
NOTES: The Dodgers reinstated RF Yasiel Puig (strained left hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list. He went 5-for-12 (.417) with a homer, three walks, one steal and two RBIs in five rehab games with Class A Rancho Cucamonga. To make room on the roster, the Dodgers optioned RHP Carlos Frias to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Frias was recalled Sunday and did not appear in a game. … Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that 19-year-old RHP Julio Urias will get two more starts before the organization decides how to use to him the rest of the season. The club is trying to take into account his youth, but Roberts said they like his progression. Urias is scheduled to pitch the series finale against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday and will then make a start on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. The soonest they will need to add a fifth starter is June 28 at Milwaukee. … RHP Brandon McCarthy (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to pitch four innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, continuing his rehab assignment. … LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left shoulder surgery) will make his next rehab start with Oklahoma City. He is scheduled to pitch five innings on Thursday. … OF Ben Revere returned to the Nationals lineup and hit leadoff on Tuesday. Manager Dusty Baker had previously said OF Michael Taylor would start against left-handed pitching but didn’t want Revere to get rusty. The Dodgers are starting three straight lefties in the series. … The Nationals didn’t have any updates on RHP Stephen Strasburg, who was scratched prior to his Monday start with an upper-back strain.