Kazmir defeats Nats, cramps with special remedy

WASHINGTON — When Scott Kazmir suffered cramps in both legs in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 8-4 win over the Nationals, it looked like his outing could be over early. So the pitcher turned to a secret antidote: spicy mustard and pickle juice.

After drinking “everything under the sun,” in hopes of fighting off cramps, Kazmir remained in the game and finished off an impressive seven-inning outing.

Facing a tough Washington lineup, Kazmir allowed only four hits and one run while striking out eight. Just as importantly for a beaten-up Dodgers team, he lasted seven innings, for his second-longest outing of the season, while throwing only 85 pitches.

“Kaz has a lot of fight in him, and with what we’re going through, guys have got to step up,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And today was a great outing by Kaz. Everything was working. He had command of everything.”

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