The Los Angeles Dodgers were hardly slowed in a third consecutive game without Mookie Betts, as the likes of Zach McKinstry, Chris Taylor, Justin Turner and AJ Pollock combined to provide an offensive punch in a 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals.
L.A. fell into an early deficit as the Nationals benefitted from hard-hit grounders going off Corey Seager’s glove for base hits and a failed double play attempt. McKinstry did help Julio Urias limit the damage by throwing out Ryan Zimmerman after a run scored on a base hit.
McKinstry then did it with his bat as part of a five-run second inning. Patrick Corbin lost his command and walked the bases loaded with nobody out. After a force out at the plate, McKinstry pulled a two-run single into right field.
Two batters later Taylor ambushed the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt three-run homer. The home run was Taylor’s first of the season.
Turner’s RBI double off the wall in left-center field extended the Dodgers’ lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning. It marked Turner’s fifth consecutive with an extra-base hit and extended his MLB leading on-base streak to 38 games.
L.A. loaded the bases again in the seventh inning and blew the game open on Pollock’s three-run double. While it put the Dodgers comfortably ahead at the time, the runs wound up serving as insurance when Juan Soto slugged his second homer of the game in the ninth inning.
Betts missing Nationals series
At the time of Betts not playing in the three-game finale against the Oakland Athletics, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated the hope was for a return in the home opener. Instead, Betts is now poised to miss the entire Nationals series.
The Dodgers will then be off Monday before returning to the field Tuesday for a matchup with the Colorado Rockies.
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