Shohei Ohtani showcased his offensive prowess with three doubles in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dominant 11-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. The Japanese two-way star’s batting average soared to a remarkable .371, further solidifying his position as the league leader.
Ohtani’s first double came in the first inning off Jake Irvin, driving in a run. He continued his offensive onslaught with RBI doubles in the eighth and ninth innings, highlighting his exceptional power and clutch hitting. The 28-year-old now leads the majors in slugging percentage (.695), OPS (1.128), extra-base hits (21), and doubles (14).
Rookie pitcher Landon Knack also made his mark with his first career victory. After a shaky start in his debut against the Nationals last week, Knack displayed resilience by retiring the final 13 batters he faced, striking out five over six impressive innings. The Dodgers’ offense provided plenty of support, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith each collecting four hits. Andy Pages added to the scoring with a home run in the eighth inning.
The Washington Nationals struggled offensively, managing just two runs. Nick Senzel’s solo home run in the second inning gave them a brief spark, but the Dodgers’ pitching staff quickly shut down the Nationals’ offense, allowing no baserunners after the second inning.
In other team news, Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen is making progress in his rehabilitation from a bruised lung, allowing three runs in his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Nationals placed outfielder Lane Thomas on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left MCL and recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester.
The Dodgers will look to continue their winning ways on Thursday with RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1, 4.50 ERA) taking the mound against the Nationals. Washington is set to counter with LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.60 ERA) as they aim to salvage the final game of the three-game series.
