Scherzer's slider not his best, two homers doomed Nats in Game 1

Right-hander Max Scherzer has allowed more home runs than he would like this season. The Dodgers followed that formula to a 4-3 win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday.

Despite 20 wins this season, Scherzer has allowed 33 home runs. Corey Seager and Justin Turner hit home runs Friday to lift the Dodgers to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

"I made some mistakes that cost me, giving up those two home runs," Scherzer said. "Really feel like that was the difference in the ball game. I take ownership of that. I'm accountable for that."

Nationals manager Dusty Baker noticed both Seager and Turner's homers came on first pitches. Seager hit a fastball in the first to give the Dodgers the 1-0 lead. Turner followed with a two-run shot in the third that made it 4-0 Los Angeles.

"They were first ball jumping early, like Seager did, so evidently everybody knows he's going to throw a lot of strikes and a lot of early strikes, because they attacked him in his last start like that," Baker said.

"But then as soon as he started working with his breaking ball and his changeup, he was the Max that we know. But he made a mistake to a very good hitter. He hung a curveball. That guy has been a thorn in our side all year long."

Right fielder Bryce Harper said Seager's speed helped make it a two-run shot for Turner when he beat out a potential 4-6-3 double play prior to Turner's round tripper.

"Goes to show Seager getting down the line right there, that's big," Harper said. "We turn a double play there and we're out of the inning and that doesn't happen."

"They're a good team, we're a good team," Scherzer said. "They beat us by one run tonight. Unfortunately, I had a hand in that, giving up those extra runs in the third inning. That'll keep me up late at night."

Catcher Pedro Severino noticed one reason the Dodgers were able to hit Scherzer early on was the veteran's inability to use his slider to get outs.

"His fastball, his curveball, his changeup was working well," said Severino via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "We made a few mistakes and we got hurt with them. The biggest issue was his slider. It wasn't breaking and working as well as he is used to. That's usually his go-to pitch. So we had to rely more on the changeup, which we used later in the game. He was able to keep us in the game."

As Scherzer has been able to do, he fought back after the early mistakes. The Dodgers managed only one more hit off him the rest of the way.

He also had some good at-bats on offense facing left-hander Clayton Kershaw.

Scherzer battled to a full count in the second inning with the bases loaded before popping out to shortstop. In the fourth, his hot shot grounder to Chase Utley was bobbled, which allowed Severino to get to third base. That run later scored on a Trea Turner sacrifice fly to make it 4-3 Dodgers.

"Yeah, we ran out some good ABs against Kershaw," Scherzer said. "We really grinded him apart. Ran his pitch count up to 100 through five innings. The guys that played really did their job today of getting big hits when we needed it, finding ways, they move runners over, overall good job at the plate."

But ultimately Scherzer felt he could have had a better night on the mound.

"Just mistakes. With Seager, I was trying to throw a belt-in fastball and it was belt away," Scherzer explained. "That's why he was able to get his arms extended and hit it a mile. With Turner, it's a hanging curveball. That's simple. That's pitch execution. I'm accountable for that. I'll shoulder that. I'll take the blame for that. I know I'm capable of executing at a higher level and I got to do it."