The Dodgers began their road trip in a similar fashion as their first home series, with a comeback win to complete a three-game sweep. This time it came against the Washington Nationals as the Dodgers scored seven unanswered runs and erased a five-run deficit to win 8-6.
It took a two hour and 15 minute rain delay to pass before Roki Sasaki could make his second start of the season, and although he allowed a hit over his first two hitters he faced, he got through a scoreless first inning on just nine
pitches. He notched another scoreless inning bottom of the second, striking out a pair of hitters while also working around a two-out walk to Jorbit Vivas.
The Dodgers managed to strike first for a second consecutive game as Shohei Ohtani crushed his second home run of the series 438 feet to dead center field against left-hander Foster Griffin to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Ohtani later picked up a double in the top of the fifth inning to give him his third consecutive multi-hit game against Washington.
The Dodger lead was short lived as Sasaki surrendered a two-out, two-strike home run to Luis García Jr., helping give Washington since the second inning of Friday’s contest. He was still pitching relatively efficiently with just 44 pitches over his first three innings, but his confidence and his faith in his stuff began to weaken in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Sasaki was working with a C.J. Abrams at second base with two outs when he induced a weak ground ball from Keibert Ruiz down the first base side, but the ball ricocheted off the first base bag well over the head of Freddie Freeman, allowing Abrams to score and make it a two-run Washington lead. José Tena kept the two-out rally going with a single to put two men on with two outs for the struggling James Wood. Wood got a splitter right down the middle from Sasaki, and deposited it into the center field bleachers to make it a 6-1 Nationals lead.
Sasaki was able to have a clean bottom of the fifth inning, facing the minimum in order while picking up a pair of strikeouts, but it was yet another roller coaster of a performance. Over five innings of work, he allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five, now carrying an unconvincing 7.00 ERA on the season.
Dalton Rushing was given his second straight start against a left-hander this season, and he cut the deficit in half with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning.
The Dodgers bullpen continued to shine in relief of Sasaki, as both Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer posted scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh innings respectively and continue to post spotless earned run averages.
The Nationals kept rolling with southpaws throughout the first seven innings, as PJ Poulin completed two innings of work despite being responsible for the Rushing home run. Left-hander Cionel Pérez took over for Washington in the top of the eighth, and he immediately put the Nationals lead in jeopardy by allowing a single to Freddie Freeman and a double to Andy Pages to put two men in scoring position with nobody out. The former National Alex Call worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases and Santiago Espinal had his first big moment as a Dodger with a two-run single to center field, trimming the deficit to one.
Will Smith came in as a pinch-hitter for Dalton Rushing, even though Rushing had gone deep against a left-hander in his previous at-bat, and Smith kept the line moving with a walk to once again load the bases with nobody out. As the Nationals brought in former Dodgers prospect Clayton Beeter, the Dodgers countered with Kyle Tucker as a pinch-hitter for Alex Freeland, and Tucker brought home the tying run by reaching on a fielder’s choice. Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers their first lead since the third with a sacrifice fly to make it a 7-6 game.
The Dodgers added some insurance in the top of the the ninth inning as Teoscar Hernández took Beeter deep to left-center field for his first home run of the season, giving the Dodgers a two-run lead.
Tanner Scott kept up the impressive work from the bullpen and Edwin Díaz recorded his first save on the road as the Dodgers remain undefeated away from Dodger Stadium.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (2), Dalton Rushing (1), Teoscar Hernández (1); Luis García Jr. (1), James Wood (2)
- WP— Jack Dreyer (1-0): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
- LP— Cionel Pérez (0-1): 0 IP, 3 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
- SV— Edwin Díaz (3): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Up Next
The Dodgers fly north of the border as they prepare for a rematch of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays beginning Monday at Rogers Centre (4:07 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Justin Wrobleski makes his first start of the season, going up against Max Scherzer.
