Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for a third consecutive game and the Los Angeles Dodgers also were without Dalton Rushing (right elbow discomfort) and Max Muncy (illness) as they both were scratched before first pitch against the Washington Nationals.
Their absences put further strain on a Dodgers offense that at best has been inconsistent. Tommy Edman put his imprint on the game defensively and at the plate to help L.A. secure a series win.
Defensive lapses in the ninth inning allowed the Nationals to score a run before Tanner Scott could close the game out. For the Nationals, it was their 16th loss this season when leading after six innings. It’s the second-most such defeats.
Dodgers 6, Nationals 5: key takeaways
Dodgers streaks
Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández each built on their recent improvements at the plate, and played a part in the Dodgers jumping ahead early.
Betts’ single in the first inning extended his on-base streak to 15 games, and Hernández’s base hit with two outs gave him a six-game hitting streak and three consecutive contests with at least one RBI. Hernández’s hit came after the Nationals botched a would-be inning-ending double play due to miscommunication at first base.
Cade Cavalli otherwise largely quieted the Dodgers behind separate stretches of retiring nine and seven batters in a row.
Tyler Glasnow labors
Tyler Glasnow provided the Dodgers with an 83rd instance of their starter completing at least six innings. However, the night was hardly smooth sailing for the right-hander.
Glasnow did not prevent the leadoff man from reaching base until the fifth inning, which only occurred because of Edman tracking down a ball hit to the left-center field gap for a leaping catch at the wall.
Glasnow appeared to find some rhythm in the sixth as he ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. He remained in the game to start the seventh but exited after giving up a leadoff double to Dylan Crews, the Nationals’ No. 9 hitter. Alex Vesia allowed the inherited runner to score, putting the Dodgers in a 4-2 deficit.
The four earned runs Glasnow was charged for tied a season high and marked his most in three starts since returning from the 60-day injured list.
Tommy Edman to the rescue
Two innings after his impressive catch, Edman put the Dodgers ahead with a three-run homer. The home run was Edman’s sixth of his season.
NL standings update
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, which gave the Dodgers an opportunity to move one game ahead in the National League standings for the No. 2 spot. They took advantage of the help and currently own the No. 2 seed in the NL postseason bracket.
The Dodgers will need to finish ahead of the Braves in the NL standings in order to secure a first-round bye in the postseason due to not holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.
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