Kershaw’s return lifts Dodgers to triumph 8-3

Clayton Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings in his first outing since opening day, and Hanley Ramirez and Drew Butera homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 8-3 Tuesday night.

Kershaw (2-0) was stubborn in his return after missing 32 games, allowing nine hits but striking out nine without a walk. The two-time National League Cy Young winner had been put on the disabled list for the first time in his career, sidelined by a strained back muscle after winning on March 22 in the major league opener in Australia.

The Dodgers kept outfielder Yasiel Puig out for a second straight game after he crashed into an outfield wall in the ninth inning Sunday in Miami.

Jayson Werth had four hits for the Nationals.

Blake Treinen (0-1), making his first major league start, allowed three unearned runs in five-plus innings.

Coming off a pair of minor league rehabilitation starts, Kershaw threw 89 pitches and worked out of a pair of jams.

Anthony Rendon and Werth singled to start the fourth, but Adam LaRoche popped out and Kershaw struck out Scott Hairston and Ian Desmond.

In the sixth, Rendon led off with a single, but Kershaw picked him off. Werth and LaRoche followed with singles before Kershaw again fanned Hairston and Desmond.

The 25-year-old Treinen was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to make the start and matched Kershaw for five innings. He allowed seven hits and no walks and struck out two.

However, in the sixth inning he was part of his own undoing as the Dodgers loaded the bases on three balls that didn’t leave the infield.

After Treinen misplayed Kershaw’s leadoff grounder for an error, Dee Gordon’s grounder to first base was bobbled by LaRoche, though the play was ruled a hit.

Carl Crawford followed with a dribbler up the first base line for a single and, with the bases loaded, Ramirez singled to right, scoring Kershaw and ending Treinen’s night.

After reliever Craig Stammen fanned Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Gordon, then Juan Uribe’s broken-bat single made it 3-0.

The Dodgers added a run with two outs in the seventh when Gordon tripled and scored as Hairston dropped Crawford’s fly ball.

Ramirez homered leading off the eighth and Butera capped the inning with a three-run shot for an 8-0 lead.

Chris Perez relieved for the Dodgers to begin the eighth and gave up three runs.

AP