WASHINGTON — Simply 4 batters into Wednesday’s collection finale, the Dodgers had already staked a four-run lead over the Nationals. It seemed to be an auspicious begin for a workforce that sorely wanted one thing to be ok with to wrap a tricky highway journey.
However Washington wasted little time in whittling that lead down to 1 run within the backside of the primary, and surged forward two innings later in opposition to spot starter Landon Knack — and Los Angeles’ bats went chilly, with Nats starter Jake Irvin retiring all however three of the 21 batters he confronted after the primary 4.
It marked the twelfth time the Dodgers had trailed in 14 video games this season, however they had been in a position to claw their means again within the seventh inning. Andy Pages launched a game-tying homer earlier than Teoscar Hernández put L.A. again on prime with an RBI single, and the Dodgers held on for a hard-fought 6-5 victory at Nationals Park.
The Nats mounted one final menace within the backside of the ninth, placing the successful run on base in opposition to Blake Treinen. Washington’s CJ Abrams may need pushed within the tying run if not for Kiké Hernández’s distinctive diving cease to his proper to maintain the ball within the infield, and Los Angeles held on to keep away from being swept and be part of San Diego as the one groups with 10 wins this season.
“To cough up the lead once you rating 4 runs within the first, it is actually disheartening,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “However the way in which that guys simply proceed to play, and … the Kiké play, and Andy confirmed some life, which is nice for him. After which Teo simply discovered a strategy to will himself to drive in a run.
“These are issues which might be positives. … It by no means feels good shedding a collection, however once you win that final one to salvage it, it isn’t so unhealthy.”
The night time earlier than, Roberts had lamented the shortage of workforce at-bats in an 8-2 loss that noticed the Dodgers strike out a season-high 15 occasions. He had observed that development all through the six-game highway journey, wherein L.A. dropped back-to-back collection to Philadelphia and Washington — and hoped that the excessive strikeout whole from the workforce’s third straight loss could be a wake-up name.
“I simply don’t suppose 15 strikeouts with our ballclub ought to occur,” Roberts mentioned earlier than the finale. “We confronted [Tarik] Skubal and we confronted [Chris] Sale, and we didn’t punch 15 occasions. … I don’t suppose we’ll see that once more this 12 months.”
The primary inning was definitely encouraging. Shohei Ohtani led off the body with a single, and Mookie Betts adopted with a stroll. Tommy Edman drove them each in with a triple earlier than Teoscar Hernández took Irvin deep to make it 4-0 Dodgers. Whereas the highest of the order obtained issues began, it was Pages within the No. 9 gap who made the game-winning rally within the seventh occur.
After Pages obtained the Dodgers again within the sport, Ohtani singled, stole second and moved over to 3rd on Betts’ grounder to second. Hernández then swatted a base hit simply past the attain of Nats second baseman Luis García Jr. to convey Ohtani residence, a sequence that was extra in step with what Roberts needed to see from his workforce.
“These are the at-bats you need throughout the sport,” Hernández mentioned. “It’s not at all times gonna be the massive swings which might be going to attain runs. You’re gonna rating plenty of runs by walks, hustling off the ball, not moving into the double play.”
Though it is the start of April, Los Angeles admitted to some urgency in its strategy to the finale in Washington. In the course of the Dodgers’ run of 12 consecutive postseason appearances courting again to 2013, they’ve solely been higher than 10-4 by their first 14 video games of a season as soon as, once they had been 12-2 to open 2021.
The problems that led to 4 losses in a five-game stretch aren’t all that uncommon for this level within the season. However as a result of the Dodgers started the 12 months with an undefeated eight-game run, they set a excessive bar from which they may solely come down.
“Once you’re anticipated to win 162 video games in a season and also you lose 4 in per week, it may really feel just like the world’s ending,” Kiké Hernández mentioned. “However on the finish of the day, we now have 148 extra. Sooner or later, we had been going to play [crappy] baseball, and it simply appeared like this was the week to try this.”
