Bobby Miller built on an impressive MLB debut and the Los Angeles Dodgers erupted in the fifth inning to cruise to a 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals in the opener of their homestand.
Miller earned another start for the Dodgers by holding the Atlanta Braves to just one run over five innings, and he followed that up with another one-run outing.
Miller nearly stranded two baserunners in scoring position after allowing a leadoff single and one-out double in the second inning, but C.J. Abrams’ base hit with two outs gave the Nationals a lead. Miller was aided by Jason Heyward throwing out Dickerson on his attempt to score from second base.
The Dodgers’ top pitching prospect went on to retire the next five batters faced before Dominic Smith’s double with two outs in the fourth inning. Nothing came of that, and Miller stranded another baserunner in the sixth inning.
Miller exited at 87 pitches and set a new career high of six innings in what was also his Dodger Stadium debut. He finished with four strikeouts, one shy from his first start, and again flashed a fastball that regularly touched 100 mph while also mixing in quality secondary pitches.
The quality start was the first by a Dodgers pitcher since Julio Urías on May 13.
Miller was backed by Victor González, Justin Bruihl and Shelby Miller each contributing one scoreless inning out of the Dodgers bullpen.
Dodgers 6-run inning
Facing the Nationals is sandwiched between series against the MLB-leading Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees coming to Dodger Stadium this weekend.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts downplayed any concern over the team maintaining focus against the last-place Nationals, but the offense was held in check until producing a six-run inning to take advantage of an Abrams error.
He booted a potential double play ball that left runners at the corners with nobody out and led to the Dodgers tying the game on James Outman’s sacrifice fly.
Chris Taylor then beat out an inning-ending double play, and after Mookie Betts singled, Freddie Freeman’s two-run double extended his hitting streak to 18 games and provided the Dodgers with a 3-1 lead.
That additionally gave Freeman 17 doubles in May, a new Dodgers franchise record for most in a calendar month. The previous Dodgers record belonged to Babe Herman, who had 16 doubles for Brooklyn in July 1930.
Will Smith’s walk put two on for J.D. Martinez, who broke the game open with a three-run homer that gave him a 13-game hitting streak.
All six runs scored against Nationals starter Trevor Williams were unearned because of Abrams’ error.
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