WASHINGTON -- Leave it to a little-used catcher not known for his hitting prowess to change the complexion of the Washington Nationals' National League division series with one big swing.
Jose Lobaton, getting a chance to play after starting catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a season-ending knee injury in late September, hit a three-run home run through a strong wind to erase an early deficit Sunday.
Daniel Murphy provided the more-expected production with two RBI, and Washington's bullpen threw 42/3 scoreless innings, leading the Nationals past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 in Game 2 to even the best-of-5 series at 1-1.
"I've got to try to do something for the team," said Lobaton, who connected with a hanging curveball from LA lefty Rich Hill with two outs in the fourth inning. And I'm not saying that I'm going to be like Willy and hit a homer and hit .300. Play hard every day, no matter who is in and who is not."
The Nationals, who lost Game 1, trailed 2-0 when Hill allowed the home run to Lobaton, the No. 8 hitter.
"One bad pitch to a guy that I don't think anybody really thought was going to be that guy to hurt us," said Josh Reddick, who had an RBI single in the third for Los Angeles. "But that's what happens, and anybody can be the guy in the postseason."
Reddick drove in the Dodgers' second run off Tanner Roark in the third inning. Corey Seager hit his second first-inning home run of the NLDS for the first run.
Lobaton, who batted .232 in 99 at-bats in 2016 overall, was 1 for 15 against left-handed pitching before Sunday. His other hit off a left-hander was also a home run, and also against the Dodgers -- off Scott Kazmir in July.
This one came against Hill -- who went 4 1/3 innings -- after an unlikely chain of events.
Hill had walked one and struck out two in the inning when he hit Danny Espinosa for the second time in the game; Washington's shortstop had struck out in his other five NLDS plate appearances.
Lobaton followed with the home run, triggering chants of "N-A-T-S! Nats, Nats, Nats, Woooo!" from a sellout crowd of 43,826.
Even more surprising than Lobaton hitting a home run was that it went over the wall in left, where wind that topped 30 mph was blowing in much of the afternoon.
"When he hit it, there was a bunch of people in the dugout who were, like, cussing, because we didn't think he could get it out. All kinds of expletives were being thrown around," Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth said. "And then it snuck over for us. That was the game, right there."
Murphy has been Washington's best hitter all season, considered a top contender for league MVP honors this year. Fans chanted "MVP" after each hit as he went 3 for 3, including RBI singles in the fifth and seventh.
Five relievers made the lead stand up, with Mark Melancon working around a single in the ninth -- the lone hit allowed by Washington's relievers -- to earn the save.
Blake Treinen went 11/3 innings and got the win, while lefties Marc Rzepczynski, Sammy Solis and Oliver Perez combined for seven outs as Manager Dusty Baker mixed and matched his bullpen just right.
"The old man knows what he's doing, I think," Werth said of Baker.
The NL East champion Nationals wasted plenty of opportunities to score in a 4-3 loss on Friday, it was the NL West-winning Dodgers' turn to come up short in the clutch: Los Angeles left the bases loaded three times.
In the fifth, pinch hitter Howie Kendrick sent a sinking liner to left that Werth managed to grab while sliding -- then celebrated by popping up and throwing an uppercut.
"The wind pretty much had an effect on every ball that was hit out there," Werth said. "That was ball was diving, knuckling, doing all kind of stuff. Part of why I was so excited was because I was surprised I caught it."
The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 this afternoon, with Game 4 there Tuesday, creating an unusual three-consecutive-days setup in the playoffs, thanks to the loss of a travel day.
"This was pretty much a must-win game for us," Werth said. "Definitely don't want to head West down two."
Sports on 10/10/2016