LOS ANGELES -- After a solid outing in a dominating win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gio Gonzalez praised catcher Jose Lobaton and his Washington Nationals teammates Monday night.

"I hate taking credit," Gonzalez said. "Credit goes to Lobaton and the guys that played their hearts out today. Offense, defense, everybody just looked great tonight."

Shortstop Ian Desmond homered twice and Gonzalez tossed eight shutout innings, sparking the Nationals to an 8-3 romp over the Dodgers before 45,722 at Dodger Stadium.

Gonzalez, who is 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his past eight starts, scattered seven hits and a walk while striking out six on 117 pitches (76 strikes).

The Nationals (58-53) handed the Dodgers (62-50) their first four-game losing streak of the season. The win kept Washington 1 1/2 games back of the National League East-leading New York Mets, while the Dodgers' lead in the NL West dwindled to 2 1/2 games over the idle San Francisco Giants.

"I just thought he was in command the whole night," Washington manager Matt Williams said of Gonzalez. "The key for him is pitch count early, keeping it down as we spoke about today. That allowed him to get through eight. He pitched really well."

A sharp curveball helped Gonzalez's effectiveness and limited the Dodgers' offense. Gonzalez, though, acknowledged he faced a weary Los Angeles club that didn't land in Southern California until about 4 a.m. from Pittsburgh, where the Dodgers dropped a 13-6 contest Sunday night to the Pirates. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and right fielder Yasiel Puig were the only regulars to start Monday.

"I wanted to be really aggressive with these guys, especially knowing it was tough for them with that late-night road trip," Gonzalez said. "I felt like they were going to be real aggressive tonight. It was just me trying to find (Lobaton's) glove."

Desmond went deep in the second and eighth innings, giving him 14 home runs. He recorded his second career multi-home run game; the first was in 2010. Desmond went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs.

A five-run Washington uprising in the sixth inning doomed Los Angeles.

An RBI single by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, a two-run double by left fielder Jayson Werth and a run-scoring base hit by center fielder Michael Taylor, who also had three hits, highlighted the sixth and chased Dodgers starter Brett Anderson. The left-hander allowed seven consecutive batters to reach base, six of them on hits.

Third baseman Yunel Escobar added a RBI groundout to cap the scoring in the inning.

Anderson (6-7) lasted five-plus innings, surrendering seven runs on 10 hits with three walks and a strikeout. It was the first time Anderson faced the Nationals.

"They've got some guys that are tough matchups for him, I believe," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "All through (their lineup) are righties. They're not a rollover club. It's not a club out there trying to pull him or roll him over. Still, he was throwing the ball pretty good there until he hit the snag."

Dodgers pinch hitter Carl Crawford hit a three-run home run off Doug Fister with two outs in the ninth to ruin the shutout. Crawford has two homers this year.

The Nationals took the lead in the second inning. Zimmerman led off the inning with a double, and Desmond homered one batter later, driving a 1-0 Anderson pitch into the seats in left for a 2-0 Washington lead.

Dodgers second baseman Jose Peraza, making his major league debut in place of Howie Kendrick (hamstring), had a two-out triple in the third for his first big league hit. However, Peraza was left stranded at third when Gonzalez struck out Puig to end the inning.

Washington right fielder Bryce Harper went 1-for-5, extending his hitting streak to 10 games with a sixth-inning single.

NOTES: Dodgers 2B Howie Kendrick was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Kendrick sustained the injury Sunday at Pittsburgh. INF Jose Peraza, who was obtained from the Atlanta Braves in a multi-player deal July 30, was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Kendrick on the roster and started at second base. The 21-year-old became the youngest Dodgers position player to debut since 19-year-old 3B Adrian Beltre in 1998. ... Monday's starters, Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez and Dodgers LHP Brett Anderson, were teammates from 2009 through 2011 with the Oakland A's. ... Nationals RHP Joe Ross (3-3, 2.80 ERA) will face Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (11-2, 1.71 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Tuesday. ... Los Angeles RHP Carlos Frias had his option voided, and he was placed back on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Aug. 2, due to lower back tightness.