LOS ANGELES — Jayson Werth always wanted to hit a homer out of Dodger Stadium when he played two seasons in the venerable ballpark. His latest attempt came close with a 450-foot blast into the upper reaches of the left-field pavilion.

Werth’s homer helped break open a one-run game in the ninth inning, moving the Washington Nationals within one victory of taking a postseason series for the first time with an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five playoff.

Heck, he even tied Babe Ruth with his 15th career postseason homer, good for 11th all-time.

“Ever since Dusty (Baker) moved me into the two-hole, I just felt like my job is to get on base for the animals behind me,” said Werth, whose three hits tied a postseason career high.

Four relievers combined for 42/3 shutout innings, putting the Nationals in position to wrap up the NL Division Series on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

“They work quick and they’re not afraid to go after anybody,” said third baseman Anthony Rendon, who hit a two-run homer in a four-run third that chased Kenta Maeda.

Werth added, “It gives us confidence. I feel like the bullpen is going to hold up and that might not have been the case or the feeling in years past.”

NL East champions for the third time in five years, the Nats were unable to advance during their two previous trips to the postseason.

“We’re battle-tested, we’re playoff-tested, and we’ve got a good group of guys,” Werth said. “We’ve been playing together a long time now, so I feel like this is our opportunity.”

Playing 23 hours after the Nationals tied the series at home in a rain-postponed Game 2, the Dodgers again struggled against left-handed pitching, a problem throughout the season when they had an MLB-worst .213 average against lefties.

Four Washington lefty relievers stymied the Dodgers in the first two games. Facing lefty starter Gio Gonzalez in Game 3, they got three runs and four hits in 41/3 innings.

The only Dodgers hitter with proven success against Gonzalez was catcher Carlos Ruiz, and he came through with a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the fifth that cut their deficit to 4-3.

“I made one bad pitch, but the bullpen was incredible,” Gonzalez said. “It’s tough to go on the road and win in the playoffs. I went after them but I wish I had that one pitch back.”

After that, the Dodgers mustered just a pair of singles off a Nats’ bullpen that included lefties Sammy Solis and Oliver Perez, and didn’t advance a runner past first base. Solis wound up with the win.

Now, the four-time defending NL West champions are facing elimination.

“We’re not afraid of this,” rookie Manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s no quit in our guys.”

It was still 4-3 when Werth homered off All-Star closer Kenley Jansen leading off the ninth.

Ryan Zimmerman added a double that scored Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper, who both walked.

Jansen was yanked. Los Angeles used all seven of its relievers in the game.

Maeda gave up four runs and five hits in three innings.

“Kenta was missing and getting behind,” Roberts said. “His fastball leaked back behind the plate and they made him pay. It was a good game until the ninth. That’s baseball.”

Maeda retired the side in the second, before wilting in the third. He opened the inning by giving up four hits in five batters.

Werth’s RBI double tied the game 1-all. Harper hit an RBI single and Rendon followed with his two-run shot for a 4-1 lead.

Dodgers rookie Corey Seager continued his first-inning success in the series, hitting an RBI double for a 1-0 lead after homering in the first inning of Games 1 and 2.