Taylor's homer propels Dodgers to 9-5 win over Nationals

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Taylor hit a three-run homer and Zach McKinstry made big plays with his bat and glove as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 9-5 Saturday night.

AJ Pollock also drove in three runs for the defending World Series champions, who are off to a 7-2 start that includes wins in four of their last five games. Julio Urías (2-0) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Juan Soto homered twice and Ryan Zimmerman had three hits for the Nationals, who remain without four players due to coronavirus cases and quarantines.

Taylor's two-out drive to left field off Patrick Corbin (0-1) was the key hit during a five-run second. Taylor's first home run of the season came two batters after McKinstry's single plated a pair of runs to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

McKinstry, playing right field with Cody Bellinger on the injured list, made a big defensive play to end the top of the first when he threw out Zimmerman at third after a bloop RBI single by Starlin Castro.

Pollock came up big in the seventh, clearing the bases with a two-out double to left. Andrew Stevenson tried to make a diving grab but missed, with the ball rolling to the wall before it was retrieved by Castro.

Washington pulled to 6-3 in the sixth when Soto lined a drive into the bleachers in right field and Yan Gomes had an RBI single. The Nationals had the bases loaded with two outs but Jimmy Nelson struck out Stevenson.

Soto struck again in the ninth with a two-run shot to right for his eighth career multi-homer game.

FOR STARTERS

Corbin, reinstated from the injured list Saturday after clearing COVID-19 protocols, retired the Dodgers in order in the first on 12 pitches but had control problems in the second. He walked the first three batters in the inning before Will Smith was...

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