Game 4 begins with back-and-forth early runs (Dodgers win 6-5)

LOS ANGELES - In Game 1 of the National League Division Series, Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw struck out the side.

With Kershaw starting Game 4 on three days' rest, the Nationals got off to a much better start.

Trea Turner laced the first pitch into left field. Bryce Harper then battled through a nine-pitch at-bat to earn a free pass and put men on first and second with no outs.

Daniel Murphy followed with an RBI single to right field and the Nats scored first for the first time in the series for a 1-0 lead. Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman flew out to right field to end the threat.

The Nats had trailed 4-0 and 2-0 in Games 1 and 2, respectively. The Nats were down 1-0 in Game 3 after a Corey Seager solo homer.

In the bottom of the first, right-hander Joe Ross got Chase Utley to ground out to second base, then struck out Corey Seager on an 86 mph changeup.

But with two outs, Ross hit Justin Turner on the left shoulder. Adrian Gonzalez then connected on a two-run homer over the right-center field wall for a 2-1 Dodgers lead.

Update: Turner singled again to lead off the third. After a Harper strikeout, Jayson Werth singled to put runners on the corners. Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Turner and the game is tied 2-2.

Kershaw led off the bottom of the third with a double down the left field line. With two outs, Justin Turner singled between Werth and Trea Turner to score the go-ahead run, and the Dodgers regained the lead at 3-2. Ross then lost command and walked two. With the bases loaded, Joc Pederson was hit by pitch, bringing in another run, and the Dodgers led 4-2.

Oliver Perez replaced Ross and got Yasmani Grandal to ground out to third to end the rally.

Ross finished 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on three hits with two walks, two hit batters and three strikeouts. He fired 55 pitches, 30 for strikes.

Update II: All of the Dodgers' runs so far in this game have come with two outs. That trend continued in the fifth against Reynaldo Lopez. With two away, Josh Reddick beat out an infield single. Pederson slapped an opposite field double into the left field corner. Reddick scored and the Dodgers lead 5-2.

Update III: The Nationals put together a seventh-inning comeback to remember. Danny Espinosa singled for his first hit of the series. It was the fourth time in seven frames that Nationals had led off with a single against Kershaw. After two outs were recorded, Turner singled for the third time. Harper battled to a 3-2 count and earned a walk. Kewshaw was pulled.

With the bases loaded, Pedro Baez hit Werth in the back with a pitch and the Dodgers' lead was cut to 5-3. Luis Avilan then allowed a dramatic two-run single to Daniel Murphy and the game is even again at 5-5. Joe Blanton struck out Anthony Rendon to end the rally. But the Nationals stunned the crowd, and going to the bottom of the seventh, it's a 5-5 game.

Kershaw finished 6 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. He fired 110 pitches and 76 strikes.

Update IV: With two outs in the eighth, Blake Treinen hit Andrew Toles with a pitch and pinch-hitter Andre Ethier singled. Chase Utley singled to score Toles and the Dodgers lead 6-5 after eight innings.

Update V: Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for the Dodgers. Pinch-hitter Stephen Drew struck out swinging. Turner struck out swinging. Harper grounded out to the first baseman, who flipped it to Jansen to end the game. Jansen earns the save.

The Dodgers defeat the Nationals 6-5.

The series is tied at 2-2. Game 5 Thursday in D.C. will decide the NLDS. The winner advances to the National League Championship Series.