Game 73: Yasmani Grandal’s home run brings Dodgers’ winning streak to five.

Yasmani Grandal

Yasmani Grandal shouts as he heads for second base after hitting a 3-run home run in the eighth inning. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

Yasmani Grandal‘s three-run home run off Tanner Roark gave the Dodgers all the runs they would need in their fifth straight win, 3-2 over the Washington Nationals.

The Dodgers maintained their 5 ½-game deficit in the National League West behind the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-4. The Dodgers visit Pittsburgh on Friday.

The box score is here.

Eric Gagne passed the best-closer-in-franchise-history torch to Kenley Jansen, and only one of them wanted to be a closer at first.

Here’s what they were saying after the game:

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.