Nats start road trip with impressive 8-3 win

Ryan Zimmerman continued swinging his red-hot bat, ripping a double to right-center in the second. It was Zimmerman's 10th extra-base hit in his last 13 games since returning from the disabled list.

Two batters later, Ian Desmond launched left-hander Brett Anderson's hanging curveball over the wall in left for a two-run homer. Desmond leads the Nationals with six home runs and 15 RBIs since the All-Star break.

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has thrown two scoreless innings, yielding two hits.

Update: Gonzalez has blanked the Dodgers through five innings, allowing five hits with no walks and two strikeouts. He has been efficient tonight with his pitch count at 58.

The Nationals offense was clicking in the sixth. After Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper started the inning with singles, Zimmerman drilled a missile off the wall in left. Rendon scored on the double giving Zimmerman RBIs in eight straight games, the second longest streak in Nationals history.

Jayson Werth followed with a double over center fielder Kike Hernandez's head, plating Harper and Zimmerman. Desmond then singled and Jose Lobaton drew a walk before Michael A. Taylor roped a line drive single to right scoring Werth. That finally ended Anderson's night after surrendering six hits and a walk in the sixth without recording an out.

The Nats added another run on an RBI groundout from Yunel Escobar off Dodgers right-hander Pedro Baez.

Update II: Desmond crushed his 14th homer to start the eighth. The solo shot to deep left-center gave Desmond his second multi-homer game of his career.

Gonzalez will start the eighth for the first time this season. The left-hander has struck out five through seven scoreless innings.

Update III: Gonzalez tossed eight shutout innings, allowing seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Doug Fister made his first relief appearance since 2013 in the ninth and was tagged for a three-run pinch-hit homer by Carl Crawford.

The Nationals beat the Dodgers 8-3.