Nationals lament mistakes that prevented a sweep in L.A.

LOS ANGELES - If you're going to beat Clayton Kershaw, you're going to need somebody to come up with a big hit off the planet's best pitcher. The Nationals got that today in the form of Ryan Zimmerman's leadoff homer in the top of the second.

And you're going to need your own pitcher step up with an elite performance to match, or even best, Kershaw. The Nationals got that today in the form of Stephen Strasburg's dominant start.

And you're going to need to do all the little things right, especially the little things late in a game that often make or a break an otherwise well-played affair. The Nationals did not get that today, and so the mistakes they made in the field, at the plate and on the bases late during a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers ultimately stuck with their manager more than anything else.

"When you're playing close games like that against a great pitcher - two great pitchers - it's usually a mistake here or mistake there that's the difference in the game," Dusty Baker said, still frustrated by the end result 10 minutes after the final out was recorded.

The mistakes, on a case-by-case basis, weren't devastating. But put them together and they quite likely changed the outcome on a cool Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

We'll begin with the bottom of the sixth, at which point the Nationals still led 1-0 behind Zimmerman's early homer (his league-leading 17th of the season) and Strasburg's five scoreless frames. The Nats right-hander was cruising along and in position to go at least seven innings, maybe eight.

But then Kershaw, of all people, battled through a nine-pitch at-bat before grounding out to begin the sixth. Chris Taylor then saw eight pitches before grounding out himself. Perhaps starting to fatigue a bit, Strasburg left a 2-1 fastball over the plate to Corey Seager, then watched as the ball soared deep to center field for the game-tying home run.

That said, Strasburg should've been out of the inning moments later when he got Adrían González to swing at a curveball in the dirt. Except Jose Lobaton couldn't handle the pitch, and by the time the catcher retrieved it near the backstop, González had reached first base to keep the inning alive.

Compounding matters, Lobaton then couldn't handle Strasburg's next pitch to Yasmani Grandal, allowing González to reach second base. And when Grandal doubled past a diving Ryan Raburn in left field, González raced home with the go-ahead run.

"Instead of just blocking, I tried to reach for it, so I missed the ball," Lobaton said of the first errant pitch, ruled a passed ball. "Then the next one, I tried to block, and the ball just bounced far. I should be able to block that one. I feel like I learned something now: I've got to be ready for every pitch. And it cost us. One run. It's my fault."

That, remarkably, was the first unearned run Strasburg has allowed since September 20, 2015, a long run that saw him overcome a previously sore spot for him: Picking up his teammates when they make a mistake.

"It's part of baseball," the pitcher said. "It's going to happen. You just try to go out there and make another pitch. I would've liked the backdoor curveball to Grandal, but you know what, they hung in there all day and put the ball in play. Tip your cap."

Down 2-1, the Nationals still had chances to come back. The dugout was understandably energized when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts - despite letting Kershaw bat for himself in the bottom of the seventh - pulled his ace after 95 pitches and sent Pedro Báez to the mound for the eighth. Trea Turner immediately greeted the right-hander with a triple off the wall in right-center, giving his teammates two opportunities to drive him home without needing a base hit.

But Raburn, who got the start because of his track record against lefties, stayed in to face the right-handed Báez and struck out. Bryce Harper then smoked a pitch right back up the box, 91 mph off his bat, thinking he had just driven in the run - only to watch as Báez snagged it and caught Turner in a no-win rundown.

"I was trying to get that run in, trying to put that ball up the middle like I did, trying to put the ball in the outfield, and Báez made a great play," Harper said. "I was shocked, but you have to tip your cap a little bit."

Turner delayed the inevitable as long as he could - he forced Báez to throw to Grandal to throw to Logan Forsythe to throw back to Báez - before getting tagged out near the plate. Meanwhile, Harper jogged to first base, looking to the skies in frustration instead of hustling to at least reach second base on the play.

"I probably should have gone to second right there," he later admitted. "Definitely probably could have made it. But I guess I was just a little shocked that he made the play, and definitely a little upset that the ball didn't get up the middle and tie the ballgame right there. It's a different game if it's tied."

Who knows what might have happened had Harper been standing on second base instead of first when Zimmerman stepped up to face the just-inserted Kenley Jansen. But as it was Zimmerman's weak grounder back to the mound ended the inning after a golden opportunity was squandered.

"Things were working according to plan, but we just didn't get the hit or put the ball in play at the right time," Baker said. "Báez made a heck of a play. That ball's up the middle, and with the infield in you don't catch that ball. We'd like to have another chance. Tough read on Trea's part, but we were trying to be aggressive and it didn't work."

As the fundamental mistakes of the inning were rattled off, Baker replied simply by saying: "Hey man, you said it all. So just write it."

The Nationals had one last chance in the ninth, with Daniel Murphy singling off Jansen and then stealing second. But Anthony Rendon flied out, Adam Lind (pinch-hitting for Michael A. Taylor) struck out and Matt Wieters (pinch-hitting for Lobaton) popped out.

And thus the Nationals found themselves departing Dodger Stadium with mixed emotions. On the bright side, they completed their road trip 7-2 and took this series from perhaps the toughest opponent they've faced to date this season. On the down side, they knew they missed a chance to sweep this series and beat the best pitcher on the planet.

"If somebody told you when we went back home we'd be 7-2, I'm sure everybody would have been more than satisfied," Baker said, before pausing to add one more thought. "But when you could have been 8-1, you're not satisfied."