LOS ANGELES -- The Nationals used a record 25 players Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, and it proved to be enough as they edged the Dodgers, 8-5, in 14 innings, which took five hours and 34 minutes to play.With the victory, the Nationals remain seven games ahead of the Braves in the National League East race. Atlanta defeated the Phillies, 7-4, at Turner Field. 
The game was tied at 5, when the Nationals rallied against right-hander Kevin Correia. With runners on first and third, Adam LaRoche hit into a fielder's choice but Ian Desmond scored on the play. Asdrubal Cabrera was the next hitter and hit a two-run homer to make it a three-run game.Right-hander Blake Treinen pitched the final two innings for Washington and picked up his second victory of the season.Earlier in the game, the Nationals and Dodgers found themselves in a pitchers' duel. There was no score when the Dodgers did their damage against Jordan Zimmermann in the seventh inning. With one out, Carl Crawford blooped a double into right field. Then came Justin Turner to the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Turner claimed he was hit by a pitch, but after a replay challenge revealed Turner was not hit, the call would stand.The Nationals wished that Turner had taken his base. On a 3-2 pitch, Turner slugged his fifth homer, a two-run shot, over the center-field wall.Zimmermann was done after that, lasting six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out eight batters.The Nationals could do nothing against rookie right-hander Carlos Frias. He pitched six shutout innings and allowed three hits. Washington had a chance to score against Frias in the second inning. It had runners on first and second with no outs, but Cabrera struck out, Jose Lobaton flied out to right fielder Yasiel Puig and Zimmermann grounded out to end the threat.Washington was down to its final three outs. But as they have been doing during the second half of the season, the Nationals refused to give in, this time against closer Kenley Jansen.After Bryce Harper singled, LaRoche came to the plate to pinch-hit for Tyler Moore. LaRoche hasn't started the last two games because of a tight lower back, but came to the plate and hit a home run over the left-field wall to tie the score at 2.Four batters later, Denard Span singled past Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, scoring pinch-runner Danny Espinosa to take the one-run lead.But an error by Jayson Werth allowed the Dodgers to tie the score at 3 in the bottom of the ninth. With closer Rafael Soriano on the mound, the Nationals were one out away from victory. With Andre Ethier on first, Turner hit what looked like a routine fly ball to Werth in right field. The reliable Werth dropped the ball for a two-base error and that allowed Ethier to score.It looked as if the Dodgers were going to lose the game in the bottom of the 10th. The Dodgers had the bases loaded and one out when left-hander Xavier Cedeno struck out Gonzalez. In came right-hander Aaron Barrett to pitch to Juan Uribe, who struck out to end the threat.Nationals left-hander Jerry Blevins pitched the 11th and he was in trouble from the start, allowing consecutive singles to Crawford and Turner. But after Joc Pederson advanced the runners on a sacrifice, Matt Kemp was walked intentionally to load the bases and Drew Butera popped up to Anthony Rendon at third, Dee Gordon struck out to end the threat.The Nationals took the lead in the top of the 12th inning against Brandon League. With the bases loaded, LaRoche, singled to left field, scoring Rendon and Werth.Reliever Tyler Clippard was one strike away from victory, but Crawford hit a two-run homer over the left-center field wall to tie the game at 5.Bill Ladson / MLB.com
The game was tied at 5, when the Nationals rallied against right-hander Kevin Correia. With runners on first and third, Adam LaRoche hit into a fielder's choice but Ian Desmond scored on the play. Asdrubal Cabrera was the next hitter and hit a two-run homer to make it a three-run game.Right-hander Blake Treinen pitched the final two innings for Washington and picked up his second victory of the season.Earlier in the game, the Nationals and Dodgers found themselves in a pitchers' duel. There was no score when the Dodgers did their damage against Jordan Zimmermann in the seventh inning. With one out, Carl Crawford blooped a double into right field. Then came Justin Turner to the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Turner claimed he was hit by a pitch, but after a replay challenge revealed Turner was not hit, the call would stand.The Nationals wished that Turner had taken his base. On a 3-2 pitch, Turner slugged his fifth homer, a two-run shot, over the center-field wall.Zimmermann was done after that, lasting six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out eight batters.The Nationals could do nothing against rookie right-hander Carlos Frias. He pitched six shutout innings and allowed three hits. Washington had a chance to score against Frias in the second inning. It had runners on first and second with no outs, but Cabrera struck out, Jose Lobaton flied out to right fielder Yasiel Puig and Zimmermann grounded out to end the threat.Washington was down to its final three outs. But as they have been doing during the second half of the season, the Nationals refused to give in, this time against closer Kenley Jansen.After Bryce Harper singled, LaRoche came to the plate to pinch-hit for Tyler Moore. LaRoche hasn't started the last two games because of a tight lower back, but came to the plate and hit a home run over the left-field wall to tie the score at 2.Four batters later, Denard Span singled past Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, scoring pinch-runner Danny Espinosa to take the one-run lead.But an error by Jayson Werth allowed the Dodgers to tie the score at 3 in the bottom of the ninth. With closer Rafael Soriano on the mound, the Nationals were one out away from victory. With Andre Ethier on first, Turner hit what looked like a routine fly ball to Werth in right field. The reliable Werth dropped the ball for a two-base error and that allowed Ethier to score.It looked as if the Dodgers were going to lose the game in the bottom of the 10th. The Dodgers had the bases loaded and one out when left-hander Xavier Cedeno struck out Gonzalez. In came right-hander Aaron Barrett to pitch to Juan Uribe, who struck out to end the threat.Nationals left-hander Jerry Blevins pitched the 11th and he was in trouble from the start, allowing consecutive singles to Crawford and Turner. But after Joc Pederson advanced the runners on a sacrifice, Matt Kemp was walked intentionally to load the bases and Drew Butera popped up to Anthony Rendon at third, Dee Gordon struck out to end the threat.The Nationals took the lead in the top of the 12th inning against Brandon League. With the bases loaded, LaRoche, singled to left field, scoring Rendon and Werth.Reliever Tyler Clippard was one strike away from victory, but Crawford hit a two-run homer over the left-center field wall to tie the game at 5.Bill Ladson / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
