Nationals score first, courtesy of long homer by Rendon (Nats win)

In two starts against the Nationals last season, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke won both times and allowed a grand total of two earned runs.

The Nationals managed to score two earned runs in their first inning against Greinke in 2014.

After a double by Denard Span to lead off the bottom of the first, Anthony Rendon got a hold of a 1-2 offering from Greinke and deposited it into the red porch seats over the wall in left-center. It was Rendon's first ever hit against Greinke in three recorded at-bats and his fifth homer of the season. The Nationals lead 2-0.

Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed a hit in each of the first two innings but has not allowed the Dodgers to plate a run. The Nationals lead 2-0 heading to the bottom of the second.

Update: The game has been slowed a couple of times tonight because of rain. In the middle of the fourth, the grounds crew spent 15 minutes placing dry sand around the infield area. Then the rain continued to come down so the tarp was placed on the field at 8:27 p.m.

The crowd roared as the Wizards-Pacers playoff game was put on the big video scoreboard.

Back to baseball, Greinke has thrown 54 pitches in three innings of work. Each team has five hits. Adam LaRoche is 2-for-2.

Update II: It is now a two hour rain delay. And it is still raining. The Wizards won, so that is good news. The Braves lost, so the Nats are technically tied for first place in the N.L. East for the moment.

Needing only six more outs for an official game, I expect they will wait until this rain subsides to try to squeeze this one in. Both teams have to go to California this week. The Dodgers host the Giants on Thursday. The Nationals are at Oakland on Friday.

Catcher Wilson Ramos (hand) played nine innings tonight in Double-A Harrisburg's 8-2 loss to Richmond. He grounded into a pair of double plays. He called 149 pitches. The good news is he played nine innings and caught the entire game. He could return to the Nationals before the end of the week.

Update III: The tentative restart time was 11:40 p.m, and the game returned at 11:43 p.m. It was a three hour, 17 minute rain delay.

The Nationals held the Dodgers scoreless through six innings. Aaron Barrett and Jerry Blevins did not allow the Dodgers to score in the fifth or sixth innings.

Zimmermann went four innings, scattering five hits, allowing no runs or walks and striking out three. He threw 55 pitches, 41 for strikes.

Nationals lead 2-0 into the bottom of the sixth.

Update IV: Danny Espinosa crushed a two-run homer off of Dodgers Pedro Baez, who was making his major league debut, and the Nationals led 4-0.

The Nationals win 4-0.