Recap: World Champion Nats Cool Down Hot Dodgers

The Nationals went on the road to LA to open up their season by facing the en fuego 8-0 Dodgers. Tightly played series except the last game, and the Nats escaped with a 3-1 series win. Josh has a damn good team, and you better score in the first 5 innings because it gets a little dicey after that facing that strong bullpen. Nine different Nats hit a total of 11 homers in the series as we enjoyed the Dodger Stadium park effects. On to the recaps ...  

Nats 4, Dodgers 3

WP - Pivetta

LP - Rasmussen

SV - Dreyer

HR - Abrams, Kelly, Muncy, Goodman

Hunter Goodman hit a 2-run bomb in the first off Washington's #1 draft pick Nick Pivetta, but the Nats answered back with solo blasts by CJ Abrams and Carson Kelly in the second. Then it was a war of attrition as Max Muncy homered in the 5th, then Washington scratched out an insurance run in the 7th to go up 4-2. After Pivetta was lifted in the 7th, Tony Santillan got out of a first-and-third jam and then Jack Dreyer closed it out. 

Dodgers 2, Nats 0

WP - Raley

LP - Sanchez

SV - Miller

HR - none

Six LA pitchers quieted the Nats bats, led by Shohei Ohtani, who pitched well but was taken out after walking the first batters in the 5th. Then the Dodgers' vaunted bullpen went to work on suffocating Washington the rest of the way. The Nats loaded the bases on walks in the 5th but Brooks Raley pitched out of it. Then they loaded the bases again in the 6th with one out in the 6th but LA went to Aroldis Chapman early to snuff out that rally. Goodman's RBI double was the only blemish on Cristopher Sanchez, who struck out 10 in 7 innings.

Nats 5, Dodgers 4, 11 innings

WP - Dreyer

LP - Sheehan

SV - Kinley

HR - Busch, Hoskins, Ohtani, Riley

Rhys Hoskins' solo shot in the 11th held up as the Nationals outlasted the Dodgers for the W. LA has a penchant for extra-inning games this year, and in this one Austin Riley sent them to the 10th with a tying bomb off Santillan in the 9th. Yamamoto went 6 but was touched up in his final frame on a Michael Busch two-run homer. From there the Nats scrapped their way to the lead in the 8th including a double off of Chapman's card vs. a lefty (Sal Frelick)! Ohtani hit a third-inning HR and the surprising Jose Iglesias had put LA ahead in the 7th. 

Nats 12, Dodgers 3

WP - Pepiot

LP - Wheeler

HR - PCA 2, Kelly, Moniak, Frelick, Chapman

The Nationals made the most of the final day off their LA tour by pounding six homers, pouring it on late for the win. Zack Wheeler was on his heels from the start and yielded 6 runs in 6 innings, including three times the Nats rolled a home-run chance off of his card. Bad luck for the Dodgers there. Ryan Pepiot went six strong and the Nationals hit four homers in the last two innings to finish off the only non-chess-match in the series.