The Los Angeles Dodgers received home runs from Jason Heyward, J.D. Martinez and Freddie Freeman and pulled away late to defeat the Washington Nationals, 9-3, putting them on a modest two-game winning streak and clinching the series.
Heyward provided the Dodgers with an early lead when he took a hanging breaking ball on the outside corner and pulled it to right-center field for a solo home run in the second inning. Heyward finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and two walks.
After the Nationals tied the game, the Dodgers responded in the third inning on Max Muncy’s ground-rule RBI double that broke the 1-1 tie. Muncy went 2-for-5 after missing the series opener because of a left hamstring cramp.
Martinez added a sacrifice fly and Heyward hit an RBI single to put the Dodgers up 4-1 through three innings. Martinez then provided insurance in the seventh on a two-run homer.
That extended Martinez’s hitting streak to 14 games and gave him a third consecutive contest with a home run. In his last 10 games, Martinez has seven home runs and 18 RBI as he’s continued to swing a hot bat since coming off the 10-day injured list.
The Dodgers scored three more runs in the eighth inning to break the game open. Freddie Freeman had a team-high four hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth. Freeman extended his hitting streak to 19 games.
Dodgers pitching
Tony Gonsolin allowed plenty of hard contact and only finished with two strikeouts, but managed to hold the Nationals to just one run over six innings.
Washington scored when they loaded the bases with one out in the third inning. Gonsolin retired the next two batters faced after Joey Meneses’ game-tying RBI single.
Gonsolin proceeded to retire the final 11 hitters faced before coming out of the game despite throwing just 70 pitches. Although the Nationals had been seeing Gonsolin well, the Dodgers’ decision to call on Alex Vesia in his return from Triple-A Oklahoma City nearly cost them the game.
Vesia’s first pitch was hit for a home run and he later allowed a double, RBI single and issued a walk with two outs. Vesia was removed after walking Jeimer Candelario, and replaced by Evan Phillips, who needed just one pitch to strand both inherited runners in the seventh inning.
Phillips remained in the game to work a clean eighth, and Justin Bruihl closed out the win.
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