WASHINGTON -- Clayton Kershaw admitted he was nervous about making his first start in six weeks. Apparently its nothing new. He just hides it well. Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings in his first outing since opening day, and Hanley Ramirez and Drew Butera homered to help the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Washington Nationals 8-3 Tuesday night. "Im always nervous, every time I start," Kershaw said. "You want to do well. Same type of nerves tonight, but after the first inning I was able to settle in OK." Kershaw (2-0) was stubborn in his return after missing 32 games, allowing nine hits, but striking out nine without a walk, and pitching out of several jams while the game was still close. The two-time NL Cy Young winner had been on the disabled list for the first time in his career, sidelined by a strained back muscle after winning March 22 in the major league opener in Australia. "He shows you right away what youve been missing," said manager Don Mattingly, whose Dodgers began the day third place in the N.L. West. "Just a guy that brings that to the table every five days. Its a little reminder of who he is and what he means to you." The Dodgers collected 14 hits despite keeping outfielder Yasiel Puig out for the second straight game since he crashed into an outfield wall in the ninth inning Sunday at Miami. Coming off a pair of minor league rehabilitation starts, Kershaw threw 89 pitches. "I missed pitching in the big leagues," he said. "Its a special thing we get to do and I try not to take it for granted, so six weeks felt like a long time." Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth singled to start the fourth against Kershaw, 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. "He was nasty," Washingtons Jose Lobaton said. "He was right in the zone. He was throwing strikes, aggressive, big curveball." Werth had four hits and Blake Treinen (0-1), making his first major league start, allowed three unearned runs in five-plus innings. 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, while striking out two. He was part of his own undoing, however, when the Dodgers loaded the bases in the sixth inning on three balls that didnt leave the infield. Kershaws hustle started the rally. Treinen misplayed his leadoff grounder and Kershaw hustled down the line and just beat the throw. "With Kersh you get a guy thats going to just be kind of all in every day, in every aspect, from running to hitting to fielding, the whole package," Mattingly said Dee Gordons 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 Treinens night. After reliever Craig Stammen fanned Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier grounded into a fielders choice that scored Gordon, then Juan Uribes broken-bat single made it 3-0. The Dodgers added a run in the seventh, and four in the eighth when Ramirez homered leading off 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. NOTES: Puig said before the game he was ready to return. Mattingly said Puig might be used as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. ... Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez (0 for his last 15) was given the night off. ... Nationals OF Nate McLouth had a bandaged right hand following his diving catch in foul territory during Monday nights game. The cut didnt require stitches and McLouth said he was available to play. ... Washington C Wilson Ramos (hand) took regular batting practice Tuesday and pronounced himself "ready to go." He could rejoin the team as early as Wednesday. ... Nationals manager Matt Williams said the latest X-rays on 3B Ryan Zimmerman (right thumb) "were great, and hes on path to begin his rehab as soon as possible." ... Former Nationals pitcher Dan Haren (4-0, 2.39) opposes Stephen Strasburg (2-2, 3.60) in Wednesdays series finale. Cheap NFL jerseys China . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. NFL Jerseys From China . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2). http://www.cheapauthenticjerseysnflwholesale.com/. Footballs governing body said Tuesday that of the 2,577,662 tickets allocated for this years tournament, 1,041,418 have gone to people in Brazil. The U. Wholesale China Jerseys . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Authentic Jerseys NFL Cheap . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit.ST. LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Polak had found Steen wide open in the middle of the ice and hit him with a long clearing pass, sending in Steen alone on Carolina goalie Justin Peters. At that point, Polak knew what was coming. "He didnt even shoot it and I was already celebrating because I know it is going in," Polak did. It did, giving Steen a league-leading 17 goals and the Blues a 3-2 lead with 6:20 gone in the third period. T.J. Oshie added an empty net goal with less than a minute left to insure the Blues fifth win in six games. Steen, who also had an assist, extended his scoring streak to 13 games, the longest for a Blue since Pierre Turgeon had a 15-game streak in 1999-2000. He credited Polak and Blues defenceman Ian Cole with making the play to send him on Peters. "It was a good heads-up play to get the puck up," Steen said. "They were in the middle of a change and I found a hole." Peters, who made 28 saves, said that one hurt. "It stung getting scored on there in the third," Peters said. "He came down and made a good shot." The Blues won despite giving up two short-handed goals on the same power play for the first time in more than 20 years. St. Louis last allowed that to happen on Oct. 8, 1992 against the then-Minnesota North Stars. "Our power play has been good for us all year," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We made a couple of mistakes on entries. We didnt get it deep and they took advantage of it." Hitchcock said that Steens goal early in thhe third period was just what the team needed.dddddddddddd "Big-time player, big goal," Hitchcock said. "We really needed that goal." Polak had a goal and assist for St. Louis. David Backes and Oshie also scored for the Blues and Brian Elliott made 18 saves. Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe scored the Carolina goals. "I thought our effort was there; our complete level was there," Staal said. The Blues have scored first in their past 10 games, and did so again Saturday when Polak converted Chris Stewarts centring pass at 9:25 of the second period. Backes scored 2:11 later with a shot from a bad angle to make it 2-0. It appeared that the Blues were in position to add to their lead when Carolina received a bench minor for too many men at 15:05 of the period. Instead, the Hurricanes scored their first two short-handed goals of the season to tie the game. First, Staal sneaked between the Blues defence for a breakaway and beat Elliott with a backhand at 15:37. Less than a minute later, Elliott mishandled the puck along the right boards. Riley Nash stole it and centred to Gerbe and he put it in the vacant net at 16:34. NOTES: St. Louis, which had played the fewest games in the league coming into Saturday (17), will play seven more times before the end of the month starting Sunday in Washington. ... Carolinas Alexander Semin, who was hit with a hard check by Alex Pietrangelo in the first period, later left the game with what was announced as an upper body injury and did not return. ... Hitchcock earned his 618th win, moving him past Jacques Lemaire and into sole possession of ninth place on the wins list. ' ' '