Final four: 2017 Nationals defeat 2017 Dodgers in seven games

Game 1: Dodgers 7, Nationals 5
WP: Kershaw (4-2)
LP: Scherzer (2-1)
Save: Jansen (7)
HR: Werth 2 (2), Hernandez (1), Seager (3), Harper (4)

Game 2: Dodgers 5, Nationals 4
WP: Jansen (2-0)
LP: Doolittle (0-2)
HR: Utley (1), Seager (4), Rendon (6)

Game 3: Nationals 13, Dodgers 6
WP: Madson (1-0)
LP: Cigrani (0-1)
HR: Bellinger (5), MA Taylor 2 (6), Wieters (1), Harper (5), Murphy (3), Hernandez (2), C Taylor (2)

Game 4: Nationals 5, Dodgers 1
WP: Strasburg (4-1)
LP: Darvish (0-2)
HR: Wieters (2), T Turner (3)

Game 5: Nationals 7, Dodgers 3
WP: Scherzer (3-1)
LP: Kershaw (4-3)
HR: Puig (5), MA Taylor (7), Granderson (4)

Game 6: Dodgers 5, Nationals 3
WP: Fields (2-0)
LP: Roark (2-2)
Save: Jansen (8)
HR: Pederson (2), Zimmerman (8)

Game 7: Nationals 3, Dodgers 1
WP: Gonzalez (5-1)
LP: Wood (2-1)
Save: Doolittle (4)
HR: Murphy (4), MA Taylor (8)

The Nationals hit 15 homers in the seven games and won all three games in Washington to reach the finals.

Los Angeles took Game One at home, scoring four runs in the third inning off Max Scherzer. Yasmani Grandal and Curtis Granderson hit consecutive doubles in that rally. The Nats hit four homers, but only one came with a man on base.

Chase Utley's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth won Game Two for the Dodgers. Utley's blast off Washington closer Sean Doolittle followed the Nationals taking the lead in the top of the inning with an unearned run off Kenley Jansen.

The series moved East to Washington for a Game Three slugfest. Consecutive doubles by Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy knocked Alex Wood out of the game in the fifth inning. But Gio Gonzalez didn't last much longer, and Chris Taylor tied it with a solo homer in the seventh off Brandon Kintzler. But the Nationals racked three Dodger pitchers for seven runs in the eighth, with Michael A. Taylor and Matt Wieters hitting consecutive homers off Josh Fields and Bryce Harper a two-run shot off Tony Watson.

Stephen Strasburg allowed one run in 6.2 innings in Game Four, striking out 12. The Nats scored three in the third off Yu Darvish and added another in the fifth. Matt Grace threw two scoreless inning to wrap it up.

Scherzer went eight innings for the win in Game Five, allowing a solo homer to Granderson in the third but just two other singles. Brian Goodwin cracked the game open with a two-run pinch-hit double as the Nats scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Facing elimination in their home park in Game Six, the Dodgers pinch hit for starter Rich Hill in the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead. Joc Pederson made the move pay off with a grand-slam off Tanner Roark. The Dodger bullpen wasn't brilliant, but it got 15 outs without giving up the lead.

Which set up Game Seven. Murphy homered in the second off Alex Wood, and Gio Gonzalez held the 1-0 lead into the seventh. With two on and two out, Ryan Madson relieved to retire Chris Taylor. Michael Taylor hit a two-run homer off Pedro Baez to extend the lead to 3-0. Kintzler gave up an unearned run in the eighth and got the first two hitters of the ninth before giving way to Doolittle, who retired Utley to wrap up the series.

Player of the Series: Trea Turner.

Pitching availability: Kintzler should be limited to one inning in Game 1.

Projected rotation: Scherzer-Strasburg-Gonzalez-Roark-(Scherzer)-(Strasburg)-(Gonzalez)