Dodgers 4, Nationals 3 (10): Matt Kemp delivered his major league-best 11th homer to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning as host Los Angeles - and Washington's bullpen - spoiled 19-year-old Bryce Harper's major league debut.

Kemp drove a 1-2 pitch off Tom Gorzelanny (1-1) high over the center field wall to give the Dodgers an improbable victory.

Los Angeles tied the score 3-3 in the ninth after Washington had taken a 3-1 lead in the top half.

Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, went 1-for-3 and his sacrifice fly broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth. Harper laced a double off the bottom of the center field wall with two outs in the seventh for his first major league hit. He played left field and batted seventh, and wore uniform No. 34.

Nationals closer Henry Rodriguez allowed a pair of singles and an RBI double by Juan Uribe to start the ninth inning and after recording two outs, uncorked a wild pitch to allow Uribe to score.

Harper looked comfortable in the field as well and appeared to have his first assist when he gunned down Jerry Hairston Jr. at the plate following A.J. Ellis' single in the seventh, but Hairston swiped the ball out of Washington catcher Wilson Ramos' glove to tie the game 1-1.

Harper grounded back to the box in his first at-bat in the second inning and popped out to short left in the fifth.

Washington's Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, allowed one run, five hits and struck out nine in seven innings in his fifth quality start in five outings.

One night after LaRoche became the first player to homer off Clayton Kershaw this season, he drove a Chad Billingsley pitch over the low wall in right field leading off the seventh. Billingsley allowed one run, five hits and struck out six in seven innings for his fourth quality start in five outings.

Ramos gave Washington a 3-1 lead with an RBI single.

Jamey Wright (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th for Los Angeles.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The first pitch to Harper - a called strike - was taken out of play. ... Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury to make room for Harper. ... Harper hit .290 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs in 129 minor league at-bats. ... Strasburg's ERA rose from 1.08 to 1.13. ... Kemp went 1-for-4 and saw his major league-leading average drop from .452 to .442. ... Rodriguez had converted his first five save opportunities.