Los Angeles @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 25, 2024 ) LA Dodgers 2, Washington 1
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost two games and were without two integral pieces when they faced the Phillies in Philadelphia over the weekend.
Next up is a trip to Washington, D.C., for a stop at the White House to acknowledge their 2024 World Series championship Monday before opening a three-game series against the Nationals.
The Dodgers won their first eight games this season and were on cruise control before losing two of three in Philadelphia as they played without first baseman Freddie Freeman after he was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 31, due to an ankle injury.
Enrique Hernandez has three homers while handling the duties at first.
Then on Sunday, left-hander Blake Snell was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 3, with left shoulder inflammation. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was scheduled to start Tuesday.
The quick-starting Dodgers almost won their fourth straight series Sunday. They came back from a 6-2 deficit to take a 7-6 lead but lost 8-7 loss after center fielder Andy Pages misjudged Bryce Harper's line drive for a leadoff double in the Phillies' deciding two-run seventh.
"Two evenly matched teams, good series," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. "We just didn't do some fundamental things today, whether it be on the pitching side, the defensive side, the baserunning side, to give us a chance to win the series."
Teoscar Hernandez hit a pair of homers Sunday and drove in five runs after adjusting his stance to move farther from the plate against sinker-heavy Cristopher Sanchez. He has four homers and a team-leading 13 RBIs this season.
Hernandez said the stance change was "just for today, but if it is working for me moving forward, I'm going to keep doing it. You try to make adjustments day by day, just to see if you can get better results for the team."
The Nationals won their first series of the season by beating Arizona in a pair of one-run games Saturday and Sunday, the most recent a 5-4 victory over 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. Alex Call had four hits and three RBIs in the two wins, and the Nationals tallied seven hits and four runs off Burnes in five innings.
"We were trying to get the ball up," Washington manager Dave Martinez said of his team's game plan. "We know he throws a lot of cutters. Our approach was to swing at strikes, and we did a good job today."
Right-hander Dustin May (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Dodgers after throwing five one-hit innings in a 3-1 victory over Atlanta last Tuesday, although he didn't not get the decision.
The game marked a triumphant return for May, who gave up three singles and an unearned run while striking out six. May had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and a flexor tendon fix in 2023, and a torn esophagus kept him from returning late last season.
May will make his first career appearance against the Nationals.
He will be opposed by MacKenzie Gore (0-1, 2.45 ERA), who has had tough luck as he makes his third start. Gore struck out 13 and gave up one hit in six scoreless innings on Opening Day, when Philadelphia rallied off the bullpen for a 7-3 win in 10 innings. Gore lost 4-2 to Toronto the last time out, on Wednesday.
The left-hander is 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers, who have four homers in 15 2/3 innings against him.
--Field Level Media