WASHINGTON — James Woods smashed a two-run home run in the seventh frame, which aided the Washington Nationals in holding off Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers with a score of 6-4 on Monday evening, securing their third consecutive win.
Ohtani hit a home run, tripled, had a single, and drew a walk, ending the game with three hits out of four at-bats and two RBIs.
It served as a good rebound for Ohtani following his 1-for-11 performance in the weekend series against Philadelphia.
For the Nationals, MacKenzie Gore (1-1) delivered six strong innings of pitching, and Wood’s hit against reliever Anthony Banda extended their lead to 5-2. Following up was Keibert Ruiz with an RBI double off pitcher Matt Sauer.
Mookie Betts and Will Smith both contributed with run-scoring singles for Los Angeles in the eighth inning, narrowing the gap to 6-4. However, Kyle Finnegan secured five outs for his fourth save of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, with two teammates on base, Finnegan ended the game by striking out Betts on a groundout.
Despite beginning with an 8-0 record, the Dodgers have now lost three out of their last four games.
Ohtani equalized the score at 2 in the third inning when he hit a 2-0 fastball from Gore over the right-field fence for a two-run home run, marking his fourth homer in 12 games.
Nathaniel Lowe secured a 3-2 advantage for Washington with an RBI single in the subsequent inning.
In the bottom of the fifth with two outs, Ohtani hit his first triple of the season, which bounced off the wall in right-center field, landing just beyond the reach of Dylan Crews in center field.
Gore conceded two runs and five hits. He fanned seven batters and issued one walk, with 58 of his 100 pitches landing as strikes.
The Dodgers' starting pitcher, Dustin May (0-1), conceded three runs — with only one being unearned — along with giving up three hits over six innings. He issued three walks, recorded one strikeout, and ended the game by retiring the last 11 hitters he faced.
The Dodgers were trailing by two runs with Max Muncy at third base and only one out left in the ninth inning when Ohtani managed to walk after facing a full count of splitters thrown by Nationals' closer Kyle Finnegan.
He made some excellent points," Finnegan stated. "He understands the scenario as well. He realizes I won’t throw him any easy pitches to hit. He’s experienced. He managed his time at bat effectively, and I managed to slip back into the game with a count of 3-2. If I were going to get him out, it would have been due to him chasing a pitch outside the strike zone. And he performed his role correctly by taking ball four.
Mookie Betts subsequently grounded out to conclude the match.
However, Ohtani concentrated more on the called third strike he faced with a baserunner in the eighth inning.
My strategy remains pretty much the same — focus on getting on base," he explained via a translator. "For that fourth at-bat, I definitely should have swung away and seen what happened.
The Dodgers' skipper, Dave Roberts, believed that Ohtani displayed selflessness during his last turn at bat when he chose to draw a walk with the game hanging in the balance.
It might be tough to call him struggling overall, but tonight he was really focused," Roberts mentioned. "That final plate appearance where he earned the walk against Finnegan without trying to go for the cycle shows his commitment as a team player and willingness to contribute when needed. It was quite an impressive evening.
From the pitching perspective, Ohtani is currently working on bullpens and inching towards participating in live batting practice as he recovers from elbow surgery. He remains a two-way talent to watch.
I'm feeling quite positive about my physical condition," he stated. "There are certain restrictions on how intensely I should pitch or what kinds of pitches I can make. When those limitations are removed, I’ll be able to do everything. I’m optimistic about getting back into live batting practice.
Key moment
Batting at the top of the order for the first time this season, Wood came through with the most impactful hit of the game as he launched a slider 395 feet over the center field fence for his second home run of the year.
Key stat
Gore fanned seven batters in the initial four innings and boasts 25 strikeouts across his first three starts.
Up next
Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski will make his inaugural start of the season on Tuesday evening as he replaces the injured star Blake Snell. The Nationals have not confirmed their designated starting pitcher for this game.
