The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied late to defeat the Washington Nationals 4-1 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night. James Outman’s go-ahead double in the eighth inning and Shohei Ohtani’s solo homer in the ninth inning provided the decisive blows.
After weeks of late-game blunders, the Dodgers bullpen redeemed itself Tuesday night with a dominant performance. Five relievers combined for 4 ⅔ scoreless innings, overcoming offensive struggles and starter James Paxton’s early exit. Michael Grove, Alex Vesia, Daniel Hudson, and Evan Phillips played crucial roles, holding the Nationals scoreless until the Dodgers offense finally broke through in the late innings. Despite facing a strong outing from Nationals starter Patrick Corbin, the Dodgers rally culminated in a two-run eighth, capped by Shohei Ohtani’s impressive home run.
Shohei Ohtani’s slow start with runners in scoring position (1-for-19) caught the Dodgers’ attention, leading to a conversation with manager Dave Roberts. Roberts advised Ohtani on expanding his strike zone too much and encouraged him to focus on controlling the strike zone and hitting strikes. Despite his recent struggles, Ohtani has a strong track record with RISP, boasting a career slash line of .290/.420/.615 and 45 home runs. The Dodgers have studied Ohtani’s tendencies during his time with the Angels and have developed strategies to pitch to him. Roberts has observed that teams are employing various tactics to get Ohtani out, including going up in the zone, crowding him, and spin pitches. However, Roberts emphasizes the importance of controlling the strike zone against Ohtani to minimize damage. In other team news, right-hander Blake Treinen will begin a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment this week after recovering from a rib injury. Outfielder Jason Heyward remains sidelined with a lower back strain and is expected to meet the team in Arizona.
Patrick Corbin continues to struggle immensely as the Washington Nationals’ starting pitcher, allowing an alarming 1.62 hits per inning this season with an 8.06 ERA. His opponents have a remarkable .351 batting average against him on pitches within the strike zone since 2022, the worst mark among MLB starters. Despite their disappointing 13-11 record, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain a potent offensive force, averaging 5.17 runs per game and ranking third in baseball with a .344 xwOBA. Bettors are heavily backing the Dodgers to score at least 2.5 runs in the first five innings or 5.5 runs overall against Corbin. James Paxton, who will start for the Nationals, also faces significant regression concerns. With an xFIP of 6.03, xERA of 5.12, and a poor K/BB ratio, Paxton is likely to see his ERA rise from its current level.
As a three-game series commences between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals, the Nationals have unexpectedly displayed promising form while the Dodgers seek answers at the onset of a nine-game road trip. Despite the Dodgers’ recent difficulties, they maintain a relaxed demeanor, with Shohei Ohtani jokingly targeting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ franchise home run record. The Nationals, on the other hand, have improved to 10-11 after winning three of their previous four matches, with Nick Senzel hitting his first home run of the season and CJ Abrams demonstrating offensive potency.
