WASHINGTON _ Sunday was not a pleasant day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Walker Buehler, their up-and-coming all-star ace, was chased after 5 1/3 innings on his 25th birthday. Joc Pederson, their experiment subject at first base, failed to make two plays, which cost the Dodgers three runs in a span of three batters in the sixth inning. The Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg limited them to one run on two hits across seven innings, and home-plate umpire Jeremie Rehak's strike zone was a source of agitation.
In the end, they lost 11-4, tying their largest margin of defeat this season. It was ugly and highlighted possible flaws. But in the grand scheme of this 162-game slog, it is a footnote they will shrug off because despite Sunday's unsightliness they have won a series on the road against a possible playoff opponent and head to Denver with at least a 14.5-game lead in the National League West.
Fortunately for the Dodgers (69-38), Strasburg was the only one of the Nationals' three top-tier pitchers they faced in the series. They capitalized on missing Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin the first two games, but Strasburg shut them down. The right-hander carried a perfect game until A.J. Pollock doubled with one out in the fifth inning. The Dodgers' only run against Strasburg came later in the frame on Matt Beaty's RBI double down the right-field line.
Strasburg concluded his day with nine strikeouts and no walks while supplying an RBI single. He has accumulated more RBIs (6) than runs allowed (4) in July.
Buehler, meanwhile, matched Strasburg until the fifth inning. Brian Dozier, a former Dodger, smashed a two-run home run to give the Nationals (56-49) a lead, and Anthony Rendon supplied a run-scoring single. Buehler ultimately lasted 5 1/3 innings. He allowed seven runs _ four earned _ on eight hits; his defense did him no favors.
The displeasure with Rehak began almost immediately but initially emanated from the Nationals' side in the first inning. Adam Eaton, Washington's second hitter, assumed he had earned a walk on a 3-1 pitch that appeared to be above the strike zone. Eaton dropped his bat and jogged to first base, but Rehak called strike two. An exasperated Eaton, who had vocalized his disapproval of Dan Bellino's strike zone Saturday, continued trotting to first base until he stopped three-fourths of the way down the line.
Eaton struck out swinging on the next pitch. He offered Rehak his dissenting opinion before beginning his walk to the dugout. Rehak rendered the comment enough to eject him. The hook triggered Eaton and prompted Nationals manager Dave Martinez to defend his player. Martinez was promptly ejected. He had to be held back from confronting Rehak. He left the game to a standing ovation.
The Dodgers expressed their frustration with Rehak more than once. It reached a boiling point in the sixth inning. First, Strasburg struck out the side looking in the top of the frame and Justin Turner disagreed with the called strike three that concluded it. His frustration coaxed Dodgers manager Dave Roberts out to also speak with Rehak, but the episode was brief, and both stayed in the game.
Buehler was next in line. He barked at Rehak in the bottom of the inning after throwing four straight balls to Gerardo Parra to put two runners on base with one out. He walked Dozier to load the bases before Strasburg stroked an RBI single the other way. It spiraled from there.
Pederson's inexperience at first base cost the Dodgers when Trea Turner hit a ground ball to him. Pederson fired a low throw to Will Smith at home that bounced through Smith's legs, allowing two runs to score. The sequence concluded Buehler's day after 100 pitches.
Two batters later, Rendon lifted a pop-up to shallow right field off Yimi Garcia. Pederson, Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger converged on the ball. It bounced off Pederson's glove and dropped for an RBI single to give Washington a 7-1 lead.
The Nationals tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning off right-hander Jaime Schultz, who may not be in the Dodgers' bullpen for long, before Corey Seager blasted a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth.
