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Max Scherzer Outduels Clayton Kershaw as Nationals Defeat Dodgers, 5-2

Max Scherzer out-pitched Clayton Kershaw in the battle of three-time Cy Young Award winners as the Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

It was a one-sided duel.

Max Scherzer out-pitched Clayton Kershaw in the battle of three-time Cy Young Award winners as the Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Entering the game, there was high expectations for the pitching matchup as it was the first time two pitchers each with three Cy Young Awards had faced each other since Roger Clemons and Greg Maddux squared off at Wrigley Field on July 19, 2006.

Additionally, it was the first regular season matchup between Scherzer and Kershaw—who have combined to win five out of the last seven Cy Young Awards—since Sept. 7, 2008.

"You don't measure yourself against the worst; you measure yourself against the best.' I've always thought that," Scherzer said of the matchup with Kershaw. "He brings it every single time. He goes out there and competes as well as anybody."

Kershaw got lit up out of the gate as he allowed two doubles and a single to three of the first four batters he faced as the Nationals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

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Kershaw settled in as the next 11 batters rolled on by like an assembly line, before he ran into trouble again in the top of the 5th inning.

Michael A. Taylor led off with a double down the left field line and two batters later, Scherzer singled him to third base. Suddenly, with runners at the corners and one out, Turner laid down a squeeze bunt that scored Taylor and turned into an RBI single for the speedy shortstop.

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"That was just a good bunt," said Dodgers' first baseman Cody Bellinger. "We [Kershaw] and I were both going after it so we could go home, but Chase [Utley] was off of first base. It was just a good bunt."

Scherzer had only allowed two hits to Chris Taylor entering the 6th inning, but the Dodgers would prove not to be a bunch of one-hit wonders as they rallied for a run off Scherzer thanks to a two-out RBI single by Yasiel Puig.

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Taylor reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances on the night and finished the game going 2-for-3 with a double, triple, and two walks. 

Kershaw (1-3) took the loss, surrendering four runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts in seven innings.

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"Two [runs] is tough, usually you feel like you can come back from two, but those tack on runs late you can't have," said Kershaw. "Max [Scherzer] limited the damage better than I did."

Kershaw's nine-game winning streak against the Nationals was snapped.

Scherzer (4-1) out-pitched Kershaw, allowing just one run on four hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in six strong innings for the Nationals.

"His fastball is dominant," Kershaw said of his counterpart. "It's the separator for him. Obviously he is great off-speed stuff, but the carry and movement he has on that fastball is just really hard to hit. It's just a really good fastball."

The back-to-back N.L. Cy Young Award winner looks poised to make a run for his third consecutive trophy as he has a 1.36 ERA so far this season, while limiting opposing hitters to a .155 average.

Up Next:

Another pitching duel is on display for Saturday as RHP Stephen Strasburg takes on the red-hot LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu at 6:10PM PST.

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