Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw gets best of Bryce Harper, and rest of Nationals

The anticipation at Nationals Park was audible when Bryce Harper stepped into the batter’s box Saturday.

Only 60 feet 6 inches separated Clayton Kershaw from the player who could succeed him as the most valuable player in the National League.

The dramatic showdown turned into a wipeout, as each of their three encounters ended with Harper striking out.

Kershaw went on to strike out a season-high 14 batters over eight scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. He allowed only three hits and walked none.

“It’s probably as close as I can remember his stuff being to his no-hitter day last June,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said.

The performance followed the completion of a game that had been suspended the previous night. The Nationals won that game, 5-3. Kershaw’s dominance reduced the long-awaited promotion of former first-round pick Zach Lee to a side note, as Lee was sent back to the minor leagues without delivering a single pitch.

The Nationals’ only runs in the second game came on a two-run home run in the ninth inning by Harper, who launched an offering from closer Kenley Jansen into the upper deck behind the right-field wall. The home run was Harper’s 27th of the season.

Kershaw, who improved to 7-6 and lowered his earned-run average to 2.68, downplayed his mastery of Harper.

“He’s the guy in their lineup, obviously,” Kershaw said. “You saw up there in the ninth inning, it takes one swing for him. I was just trying not to give up a hit.”

Harper conceded Kershaw got the better of him.

“He put on a clinic today, really went out there and pitched like the MVP he is,” Harper said. “When he’s on like that, you better get lucky. Sometimes you just gotta tip your cap and laugh because it was pretty impressive by him today.”

Kershaw struck out two batters in each of the first seven innings.

“I think more than anything, I was just able to throw three pitches,” Kershaw said. “I threw probably the best slider I’ve had all year. I’ve had good ones here and there, but I felt really consistent with it today. I felt like I could throw it how I wanted every single time.”

Kershaw struck out 13 batters in his previous start, a 5-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Kershaw’s latest triumph deprived Lee of the opportunity to make his major league debut.

Lee’s first-ever call-up to the major leagues came under unusual circumstances. Because the Dodgers and Nationals also had to play the last four innings of the game that began Friday night — it was suspended because of problems with the stadium lights — the teams were allowed by the league to expand their rosters to 26 players for the second game.

The Dodgers promoted Lee in case they needed a long reliever, a role Kershaw made obsolete. When the game ended, the 23-year-old right-hander was on his way back to triple-A Oklahoma City.

“It was a little bit of a surprise, the way it happened,” Lee said. “But any way you get the call is a good way to have it. I got to come up here, experience something very few people get to do and you get to cherish that moment for the rest of your life.”

Lee is five years removed from becoming the most expensive draft pick in franchise history. He was a highly rated quarterback and the Dodgers paid him a $5.25-million bonus to forfeit his football scholarship at LSU.

“It was one of those things where I’ve worked really hard to get here and it’s really satisfying,” he said. “I have desire to do more than what I did today, but in time.”

Lee has spent the majority of this season with Oklahoma City, going 6-3 with a 2.34 ERA for the Dodgers’ top farm club. He had a minor health scare in June, a circulatory issue that caused numbness in the middle finger of his throwing hand. He said the problem is behind him.

Considering he didn’t pitch Saturday, did he feel as if he had “made it”?

“Yes and no,” he said. “It’s halfway checked, I guess.”

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez