Matt den Dekker provides the power in Nats' 5-3 win (with lineups)

Seldom-used Nationals outfielder Matt den Dekker smacked a two-run pinch-hit homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to beat the Dodgers 5-3.

"I was just ready to be aggressive early," den Dekker said. "Coming off the bench, you gotta be in there and ready to go so that's what I did. I just got a pitch over the plate and got the barrel on it."

After a faulty circuit breaker blew out a bank of lights at Nationals Park last night, the Dodgers and Nationals resumed play this afternoon with the Nats up 3-2. Adrian Gonzalez quickly tied it at 3-3 with a solo homer off right-hander Tanner Roark in the sixth inning.

Right-handers Aaron Barrett and Casey Janssen pitched scoreless frames to keep the game deadlocked until Nationals manager Matt Williams called on den Dekker to pinch-hit in the eighth.

Dodgers right-hander Pedro Baez challenged him with a first-pitch heater and den Dekker pulverized it.

"It's just exciting to be part of the win and part of the team," den Dekker said. "I haven't had a home run like that in my career. Just to be able to do that and give the team the lead late in the game like that was a lot of fun."

It was key for the Nationals to win the series opener, especially with reigning National League MVP Clayton Kershaw pitching for the Dodgers in this afternoon's regularly scheduled game and NL All-Star starter Zack Greinke taking the mound in the finale tomorrow.

"It's a humdinger of a game if you win it," Williams said. "If you don't, then it doesn't feel as good. It doesn't get any easier from here, certainly, with the next two guys we have to face but we'll see what we can do."

Here are the lineups for the regularly scheduled game:

For the Dodgers:

CF Joc Pederson
2B Howie Kendrick
3B Justin Turner
1B Adrian Gonzalez
LF Andre Ethier
RF Yasiel Puig
C A.J. Ellis
SS Jimmy Rollins
LHP Clayton Kershaw

For the Nationals:

CF Michael A. Taylor
2B Danny Espinosa
RF Bryce Harper
3B Yunel Escobar
LF Clint Robinson
SS Ian Desmond
C Jose Lobaton
1B Tyler Moore
RHP Doug Fister